


Aquarius

by Cristy_duck



Category: Kinnikuman Nisei | Ultimate Muscle, キン肉マン | Kinnikuman (Manga)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Aliens, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Forbidden Love, Geniuses, Next Generation, Science Fiction, Young Parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 70,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25895254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cristy_duck/pseuds/Cristy_duck
Summary: Science has always been a double-edged sword, for her. It took her on the top of the world but it never taught her how to control her emotions and human relationships. Especially because of what she had done a few years ago, a secret that only few intimates knew and that would have twist the life of the person most important to her, her brother Mantaro Kinniku.
Relationships: Bibimba/Kinnikuman | Kinniku Suguru, Kevin Mask/OC, Kinniku Mantaro & Kevin Mask
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chemistry of Emotions

Japan had always been a State that had always fascinated her deeply, which is why she had built in the center of Tokyo one of her working bases. Of course, it wasn't her favorite, because her favorite had been built thousands of miles deep in the sea, but even there it had his charm. She still remembered the first time she had visited Tokyo ... it seemed to her the land of the blinkers, because of all those myotry of lights and colors. There was also to say that she was quite small the first time she had seen it ... well, now it wasn't important. What was important was the time when she would stop there. Two weeks. She had never stopped so much in one place, but this time there were also personal reasons as well as work. And she hoped, this time, to hit the target. She had already missed it once ...

In all those years she had done research, studies but, above all, she had fulfilled the dream of a lifetime. Now she really had everything she could want. Or rather, almost everything. But she was counting on getting what she wanted for a long time in those two weeks. On the other hand, she had calculated several possible scenarios, but she was sure that she could not calculate the emotional response of those scenarios, because – she knew – she had not yet come to fully understand the chemistry of emotions. She was able to block them for a period of time, true, but not to activate them as she pleased. And that's what she still missed.

Excluding emotions, which she was unable to handle perfectly, which is why she did not excel exactly in human relationships; otherwise she was really phenomenal. But she had worked hard to be like this, she was committed to being her personal projection of perfection that she had always had in mind. And perhaps this was bad, because in doing so she had learned all too well to alienate herself from reality.

She had made mistakes in his life, of course. The first had been to leave without doing what she wanted to do; then have those secrets kept to that dear confidant to whom she owed much and finally ... finally try to be perfect. But maybe in time she would be what she hoped to be, and not what she wanted to be... between hope and desire there was always that fine line that had never learned to distinguish in a clear way ... the more she excelled in research, the lower she was in dealing with the people she loved most in the most difficult situations ...

"I really like this new dress; it really enchants you. It's a shame he can't see it. But I'm sure you're going to get another chance, aren't you?" Liam's voice came to her as she looked out the window at one of Japan's many traditional parks. Liam, along with Joseph, had left with her several years ago, also serving a mission on his behalf. They were friends, very close.

She then looked away and smiled, "Well, of course I’ll do! Maybe I'll send him a picture ... right now I just want him to focus on his goal. He's struggled so hard, I can't make him lose his concentration, can I?"

"You're not sending him a picture in your underwear, at most you'd send him a picture of you in a black, tight, long-sleeved dress that reaches the knee! How could he lose focus? They're just clothes!"

She smiled mockingly: "In ninety percent of men libido can only be triggered when you see a tight dress. It is you, like Joseph, who does not fit into this scheme, Liam. Remember that."

He smiled little, continuing to drive the _supercar:_ "This is true too. For me it's just skin or fabrics. What really drives me crazy is intelligence. But this, you, you already know." and accelerated on the straight. They were leaving nature to delve into modernity. But in reality they felt themselves only in the midst of nature.

"Do you know what I was thinking?"

"It's always hard to know what you think!" he laughed, "But if it's anything that bothers you, I'll always be ready to listen to you."

She turned around looking at him again, burst out laughing, and then answered, "Sometimes my thoughts are simple, you know? Not always my head is incomprehensible ... while sometimes I can't even understand myself. Sometimes it takes years, sometimes decades. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I made up my mind. In a few days I will make my move, and then we will see what happens. Besides, we're used to look at the consequences, right? It's our job."

"I would say more that it is a mission of life but ... even so I like it. It almost seems like we struggle for our "work", when in fact we have a lot of fun. Though... ah, you know I'm still thinking how to tell him..."

"Yes and ... excuse me, it's all my fault. In fact, it's all my fault. If I hadn't asked you to do-”

"Are you kidding me?! You gave me happiness! I always wanted to give up that life that I felt did not belong to me, and when you made me the proposal ... Well, I accepted on the fly because I had decided to finally take over my life. What was my fault? I was only 16 years old and wanted to take my life on my chest and do what I wanted. I needed freedom ... I do not know if it was a teenage freedom act, fact is that I have never felt so free since ... apart from, yes, for some time now, I feel like imprisoned or chained to something ..."

She put his head on the headrest: "Maybe it's because you don't know how to tell him that you feel imprisoned... but now let's think about something else, sing it? We didn't make it to the bakery at all, did we?" she smiled.

Liam smiled too, he had just parked in front of the best bakery in Tokyo: "I agree. Sweets, chocolates and pastries, we arrive! Can't wait to taste their dorayaki, they say they invented a broken recipe that is the end of the world! And then, of course, if we like, we could bring some to them, too, what do you say?"

"I say it's a great plan!"

Suguru looked at the stars surrounding Planet Kinniku and illuminated it with that light that was not comparable to that of the Earth's sun, since it made the aliens live on a perpetual starry night, similar to that of Van Gogh, but that to a romantic soul like that of the queen and the prince, but not of the king, always aroused a feeling of poetry. It was one of the king's few moments of freedom, between one engagement and another. In a few minutes he was supposed to be back in his office. Sometimes he thought he'd fossilize there.

The years with him had not been lenient, as opposed to his wife who had not aged. You were beginning to see some little wrinkle of expression just now. But Suguru's body, on the other hand, had undergone heavy transformations. Before, he had stopped fighting and, as the years went by and Mantaro's birth, they had begun to see the first wrinkles, which the tight mask gave glimpses. Then he had simply let himself go and lost all his muscles. Or at least this was the official version. But the truth was far more distant. Only he and the team that had treated him knew the truth, a truth that would make many people suffer.

He sighed heavily. The air burned his lungs. It was cold enough for that time of year on a planet warmed by myocketing stars. He shook his head slowly. Sometimes he wondered if what he had done had not changed him inside. Some nights he wondered what would happen if he didn't want to fight for the throne, if he married Mari, if he didn't allow Meat to hibernate... if he had never met Terryman, or Robin, or all the others, would he have remained the same loser he was? Would his brother ever meet him? Would he have had more children? Would he get married or be a bachelor? But... all those questions always gave him a headache, which is why he would erase them and turn around and watch his wife sleep peacefully. It was still the little things that made him happy.

He shook his head again, closed his eyes and sighed. He had his hands resting on the marble parapet of the balcony of his studio ... looked at the stars one last time and then went back inside. He crouched in his armchair and looked at his desk... a lot of various laws and paperwork to sign and brand. Then he saw that from under some laws yet to be signed there was an envelope. The postmark indicated that it had been shipped from South Africa. Mh, it must have been the last place she had visited. He had been receiving those letters every day for almost a decade now. Regularly every two weeks. And that letter had arrived, punctually, as usual. Only he forgot to read it. What better time to read it than now?

_You know, every time I stop in one place, I feel at home just looking at the sky. Or being in the middle of nature. I don't think I've ever had a place in this vast universe to call home, you know? It's just that ... I always feel torn from my real home, but I am not able to identify with any place on this earth ... maybe I should stop in one place, put down roots and ..._

_No, we both know that's not what would make me feel free. We both know that I was born to travel and study the world ... on the other hand, I've seen and studied almost all of the Earth and half of the known universe in these seven years, right? But, if I'm honest, there's one more thing I'm missing. And you know better than I do that this thing is, actually, a person. I have no idea if he's going to agree to follow me or not, but I need him. You told me I should be happy that day, right? Well, I just miss him to be completely happy._

_And by the way, I just wanted to tell you that I'm counting on finding the ultimate cure for our problem in no time. These years have brought a lot of fruit, I have almost all the data to find the ultimate cure. Soon you will be yourself again, I promise._

_I thank you again from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done and are doing for me. Without you, my life wouldn't be the same. I will always be indebted to you._

_Soon, I love you_

Suguru inadvertently felt a smile pop over his face. She was always the pure and kind child, but above all altruistic, who had met that first time in the orphanage. The choice to become fond of her and to continue to help her as long as she wished she had been the wisest. Of course, his wife was suffering, like his son, but he couldn't help it. He promised that he would let her be what she wanted, to look for herself around the world.

Suguru knew that he had almost found the answer, but he could not tell either his son or his wife because it would mean betraying the trust of that little girl who had always looked him straight in the eye and had always looked his heart. He was happy, however, that she was finally going to visit him. He knew that Mantaro had suffered a bad trauma that day, and reviewing the cause – but also the cure – of his trauma would finally make him come back to himself. Because a father cannot see his son suffer like this without being able to do anything.

On the other hand, he had always hated having his hands tied, but unfortunately he had to keep them like this for almost ten years. His torture was almost over.


	2. Wars never fought

The long braid ran across her back, where it glimpsed her blonde locks, a symbol that she was natural blonde from birth, and was stopped by a black rubber band. Her legs were banded in black leather trousers and she wore the pastel pink Jeffrey-Campbell with lace inserts, suede, while she wore a white sweater that covered her arms but left her shoulders and decolletage uncovered.

She studied the object to which she had devoted much time, if not all life: nature and the animal kingdom. Science for her was like a deal with the devil... or death. Her technologies were the most advanced and precise in the entire universe, she could have unleashed a war and ended it in a few hours.

She couldn't wait to see him again and finally embrace him, asking him to realize his dream. After all, if you have a dream, you try to make it happen, right? She still remembered when, as children, they spent time together reading and studying curiosities about animals or science in general ... when he was with her he was himself, he let his emotions shine through and revealed his dreams for the future to her. She still remembered – how could she forget it, since she had both an auditory and photographic memory? – of all the times he had confided to her that his greatest dream was to work with her. Only that ... because of a series of unfortunate events, he could not follow her. And now he was forced to live a reality that he had not chosen. But soon things would change, and for the better.

In time she had also understood why he had told her no... he was so small and yet all those useless pressures were already ruining his life. He had given up his dream only because he was the only child they could ever have... but didn't his happiness count? What she wanted to do with him was worth less than zero? He had always had this altruistic nature, which is why he told her no, but apparently his parents thought he said no because he wasn't cut out for the job because he would rather fight. Never was it more distant from reality.

She looked away from the results of some tests to see the photographs and the results passing on the holograms. She remembered that he loved photography, but he excelled above all in drawing, as opposed to her, which was a total landslide. She still remembered when he was doing the portraits to her... all those memories convinced her even more of her decision. She didn't care if everyone else suffered, he deserved happiness. Would they have hated him? Patience, he would have had her by his side all his life. Together they would also address that problem. Of course, if he still wanted to be with her after the revelation of her secret ...

The noise of the intercom awakened her from her thoughts: – _Miss, she has visits. Your friend is waiting for you in the living room. If you want something, I will come as soon as possible._

She smiled and was grateful to have him as a butler: "Don't worry, Jacques, I will offer something to drink and eat. What you're doing is much more important. Thank you for always being there for me."

– _Mon plaisir. A bientôt._ – and closed the call. The scientist then settled her research, combed her hair again, falling back on her face, and went down to the living room, where her best friend was waiting for her. She had been one of the very few people who had always supported her; and in fact she had repaid her a lot of times, as when, a summer he had spent with her, he had helped her with breast surgery. But that was necessary. An operation that took place without his family's knowledge. A secret she would keep.

"Wow, wow, wow! But how cool we are!" she immediately went to embrace her "Actually, you're always dressed at the top ... anyway, I hope I didn't bother you. Jacques told me that you were in the laboratory..."

She sat on the couch next to her: "Don't worry, Jackie, I was just evaluating the latest tests. Today, Liam and Joseph had an appointment at the WHO and so ... to the others I gave free day. What did you want to talk to me about? I have received your messages ..."

"Here, _Cris_ ... I'm glad you finally decided to act, but in my opinion, here ... I don't think it's the right time. I mean, we're in the middle of the Chojin Olympics and what you want to do will cause him a shock and a distraction ... I don't want this decision of yours to ruin the Olympics, you know..."

Cristiana looked at her, studying her. Jacqueline Muscle, despite being her best friend, often did not put her happiness first, but family business. Sometimes she wondered why. She sighed, before replying to her: "My decision will not ruin the Chojin Olympics, also because I have another move – already launched – that will ensure the unfolding of this useless tournament ... but I don't have to tell you, you know better than me that wrestling is just a show for me. It has always been so, even in ancient Greece and Rome ... Civilized people don't break bones in a ring. But it is also true – she foreshaded it – that this is your culture and I respect it. Note that I am refraining from commenting on your culture."

"I've noticed it, and I appreciate it, trust me. But please, whatever you've already done that's about the tournament... don't make it clear that it's a barbaric practice for you, you could start a war that-”

"It's impossible. They wouldn't have the courage to wage war against me. And then, you know perfectly well that I don't fight intelligence wars with unarmed people.” She looked at her. She spent her life studying the people around her. Jacqueline first did to talk, but then she just shut up. She knew what Cris thought about wrestling, especially Chojin wrestling. She would never forgive them.

"Yeah ... I met him. He obviously doesn't know anything but ... let's say yes, it behaves as you assumed. This thing makes me so sad ... I didn't think he loved you so much, not to the point of shutting down his personality and acting like his father, as if you didn't exist...” Jacqueline looked at her friend, who had become sore, "Excuse me, I didn't want you to suffer..."

Cris smiled pulled: "Not ... Don't worry. After all, it's also my fault..." but Jacqueline knew it wasn't her fault but, above all, she knew how much her friend suffered.

The Legends did not understand, and surely they would never do so: why on earth to have a sponsor at Chojin, especially if already started? What was the point of all this? Well, maybe it was just the Muscle's tyrant who woke up on time to break another tradition.

"You should be ashamed."

"Keep your tongue in check, kid! Otherwise I'll reduce you like bullfighting bulls!" exclaimed Buffaloman against Ikimon Muscle..

How did that _perro_ be allowed to ruin the tournament like that?! And dare to preach to him?! What, as a bull he had become a matador?!

"Buffaloman, calm. I'm sure the president will have had a good reason to accept the sponsor's request, am I wrong?"

"As usual, you never make a mistake, Ramenman. Although I resisted, the president of the company insisted that he finance the tournament. At that point I could only accept." – Actually, as soon as I heard the sum of money I accepted right away, but they can't know this, hihihi! – he thought.

The Legends exchanged glances to say, "I imagine how long he resisted ...". How was it possible that he had decided to break such a sacred rule for the money? It was like rewriting the tournament and cancelling all their work! It was tradition, in the Chojin world, not to accept external sponsors – so called when they were not part of their community or the world of sport – as they were proud of their tradition. None of their ancestors needed a sponsor when they fought each other to decide who was the strongest, and now the cheeky one wanted to break that tradition? But really?!

"And tell us, Ikimon, how much this … sponsor … would have offered ...?" asked Robin Mask, unstressed.

"It's not a sponsor like many to start with, but it's THE sponsor, okay? It's also because it's the first time _Lux Technologies_ has sponsored any sporting event."

Everyone almost fell off their chair: Lux Technologies?! But was he serious or what?! To name one, the president and owner of that company held the universal economy! How was it possible that ... That... but how did he do it?! So, besides being brazen about accepting a sponsor, did he choose a famous one to disapprove of the Chojin's method of resolving their conflicts? That was really a socket for the bottoms!

"I have ... did I hear right? Did you say "Lux Technologies" or did you?" asked Terryman, astonished. In the States, just saying that company meant knowing everything about economics.

"You heard right, Terryman ... on the other hand, I am a president of his own level. And by the way, I know that company is famous for disapproving of our methods of solving problems, but if they decided to sponsor us, it means they're rethinking, right? At least, that seemed to me to mean the president's representative."

“Tsk. I hope for you that you know what you are doing, because otherwise I will not spare myself." he began, approaching one of his ... subject.

Ikimon froze: "D-Don’t worry, Ataru, you will be s-stunned..."

Ataru looked him in the eye undemonized: "For you I am Kinnikuman Soldier, understood larva?!"

Ikimon answered with a shrill "yes" and then came out terrified.

"Tsk, how easy it is to scare him..." he made his way, smiling under the mask. It wasn't like him to behave so grumpy, but he loved to scare some Chojin who, in his opinion, needed a bit of discipline. Looking back, he had never managed to scare either his brother or his nephew, perhaps because of their bond. Or because, after all, they had liver to sell. Well, that was a real mystery.

"You never change, do you? Why don't you come and say hello?" asked Terryman. He knew that Ataru had come to the meeting in Suguru's place, and he also knew that he would stay on Earth for a few days, so he might as well go and say hello to Mantaro, his nephew.

"Why should he not have distractions during the Chojin..."

“... or why do you fear that he will remember you _her_ too much?" asked Buffaloman, "Look, we understand that you treat him like this just so you're afraid of _her!_ ”

Ataru looked him in the melancholy eye: "Because you don't miss _her_..."

"Of course we miss her, Ataru! But don't you think that treating your nephew as you treated _her_ is already one step ahead of admitting that you miss her?"

"And anyway," Prince Kinniku got up from his chair, "I don't treat him like that because I'm afraid he'll remind me of her, you know, Buffaloman? I'm not afraid of anything! Unlike that coward of my nephew who is afraid even of spiders!" - She feared spiders too… - thought soon after. Those things were not true, even he had fears recondite ... only he didn't have the courage to admit it.

"You're thinking _she_ was afraid of spiders too, aren't you? And how did she run in _your_ arms when he saw one? Or don't you go to Mantaro because you _don't_ know how to treat him, since you've seen him three times in your life?"

"Kinnikuman Soldier, I think you should go to your nephew, for the simple fact that even if you miss her, he also misses her, don't you think?"

"Honestly, Victory, do you think Mantaro is missing her? It doesn't look like how it behaves to me." Why did he keep lying to himself like that? Still, he knew everything that had happened, from that day on!

Everyone looked into their eyes and said, "Suguru didn't tell him..."

"Well, what’s there? Didn't my brother tell me something important about my nephew?"

"No, Ataru,nothing important. But maybe he acts like that to hide his pain, don't you think? He's still your nephew, and if you act like this, don't you think he can do it too?"

"Listen, Ramenman. I know Mantaro better than you know him, and I can assure you that I _know_ what has happened since _that_ day.

Everyone understood that they were wrong about Ataru's account. That fact had marked him, and also deep down, so that's why he treated Mantaro like that. He had to hold it tight.


	3. A new beginning

“Mantaro, I'm going to go shopping. Try to wake up at a decent time, when I get back you must have already started training," said Meat, not very sure that the prince of the Kinniku had heard it, since he was sleeping rough. In response, the coach only heard his pupil's snoring. He snorted, then walked out of the cottage.

Meanwhile, as the little coach left, a very expensive Ferrari stopped on the parallel of the playground, from which descended a very beautiful girl with very long golden brown hair combed in a high chignon and dressed in a very elegant trouser-shirt suit, most likely the designer was Armani, and a heel fifteen jewel. She had a string of pearls around her neck.

She walked quickly, until she arrived in Beverly Park and there found the one she was looking for: Prince Mantaro Kinniku. His highness was breathing in the morning air, it was very strange that he had woken up so early.

The girl came from behind and said, "Hello, little brother..."

He turned with his heart non-existent. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't. That... that was his sister, that was Cris! It was his foster sister! She was back!

Mantaro looked vacuously at his sister: he had waited so long for that moment, it seemed to him it was a dream, he did not want to let it slip out of his hands. Hands that trembled and were sweaty like a few times in life, hands longing to embrace that perfect body.

He had sapphire blue eyes full of tears and shiny like a mirror, he did not know what to do. And because his brain didn't order him, it was his heart that told him to hug her, because it was right.

"Big sister …" he said between sobs, clutching her tightly and pressing his chest against her breasts. He placed his head in the incave of her neck and stood there.

He was crying like he had never done before, finally after so long he left with loose reins all that was carried in his heart. Everything he had felt finally let him go because he had found the solution to all his suffering.

"Mon chérubin ..." said her, embracing him weepingly. She had waited seven years, seven very long years to re-embrace her little angel, who had grown up, and to do so he had to suffer.

She had grown up too, perhaps small she had never been, but having him close again was like coming back to see the sunlight. She had changed, of course, perhaps too much; perhaps only Heaven had always known her, only the moon had always guided her on the journey.

But now, seeing those eyes that she had cried so much during the nights, made her revive, maybe even exist.

“... I... I missed you so much..." Mantaro had started to cry without restraint, he did not care if anyone saw him and criticized him, he now had she close again, the rest could wait.

Cris gently stroked him on the back of his neck, as she looked at him with her eyes shining: "Look how you have grown, my angel..." said, "I should have taken you away with me... you would have been happy..."

Mantaro looked her in the eye and tried to smile at her: "It is I who did not want to ... do you remember?" he answered, with tears streaming down without stopping the mask , "It was me..."

She smiled maternally: "Even then you wanted to choose the happiness of others to yours..." and hugged him weeping.

Cris had always been proud of her brother, proud as no other, and if only Mantaro had known how much his sister loved him, he would have wept with joy.

She had not spent a day thinking about her brother, everything she had achieved in her life had only done for him. Just for him. And now that she was clutching him in her arms, she seemed to be in an enchanted place, where there were only the two of them. And no one else.

"If ... If you knew how much I suffered from the mistake I made, big sister..." Mantaro continued to cry like a mother who sees her son dead for the first time.

His sister held him tightly, now she too was crying: "Brother, what we have done will not come back to us ... but come away with me. I have a beautiful house here in Tokyo, you can have everything you want ... and you can bring your coach as well."

Mantaro looked at her, trying to wipe away her tears: "Sister ... " she smiled at him, "Take me away with you. Forever”, and hugged her again, placing his head on her soft breast.

She stroked him on the head and kissed him, hugging him tightly and placing her chin on his head.

They would no longer be left, not even by means of death, neither for heaven nor for the earth, because they had found themselves.

"I am so happy to have found you again, little brother ... really," she said, trying to tone down the sobs, "You don't know how many times I've been tempted to come and pick you up and take you away with me..."

"And ... and why didn't you?" he asked, looking her in the eye. He wiped them with the simple gesture of his hand.

"I didn't know how you'd take it, after that no..." answered her, holding his face in her hands. She kissed him in the forehead. He closed himself in silence and looked down, but she continued, saying, "I call Jacques and tell him to prepare your rooms. I'll come back for you. You meanwhile prepare ... tell it also to your coach."

Mantaro said before letting go, "Sister...”

"Yes?" she looked him in the eye

"I'm happy to have you back."

She smiled, "I too," she looked at him even more gently, "And I promise you, my little brother, that I will do anything in my power to make up for the time we have lost. I will never leave you alone again ..." and embraced him.

Mantaro, after embracing her again, asked her, "Swear it..."

She looked at him sternly: "You know I never swear, Mantaro..." The brother burst into tears. She continued, "I don't need to swear when I know you're going to come away with me."

"I'm scared of what the league might say, but I don't care. Coming to live with you, I will really find out who I am and what I want to do. So, I'm happy," the prince added.

"Brother, I don't think I explained myself well." she resumed "With “Come away with me" I meant to follow me in my studies. Do you want to?"

Mantaro looked at her, asking her, "Can I ... can I think about it?"

"Obviously," she concluded, "but in your new home, " and embraced him tightly.

Mantaro broke off and wiped his nose with his sleeve: "Now I'll let you go... otherwise you can never have the rooms prepared ... see you soon. So, you'll tell me everything you've done over the years." he again embraced, "I'm waiting for you."

She broke away, smiled and nodded, then went away. She had to go home.

Cris dropped her trunk in paint with a dull thud on the leather sofa that was worth millions, as she let herself go to a rexplant of joy as she took off her silk jacket. She sat down with a dull thud on the sofa, almost threw herself over, feeling as light as the air.

She had a happy, light look, alive as few times in life. She had had such a look only another time in her life, so many years ago ... when she was younger and still thought about things ... futile.

"Miss, do you have any good news?"

Jacques Rouen. Butler French following Cris since she left. She chose him personally. He had sea-blue eyes and black hair. He had a past in the French counter-terrorism forces, in the leather heads. He spoke several languages, including Italian and Kinniku. He had attended the prestigious École Parisienne d'Économie Domestique.

Cris sat down better, settled down and said, "Good news? I mean, are you kidding me?! It's probably the best news I've ever received in my entire life. " continued “Excluding all the Kal-El I won, I mean.”

_"Très bien,"_ he told her, "So I _guess_ that Mr. _Mantarò_ will be here soon, _oui?"_ he continued, with a Parisian accent.

"Imagine well, Jacques. I told him to pack his bags. Not that they had who knows what to prepare, in that dump. And trust me, it's a compliment."

"I don't deny it, young lady. So, I have to prepare the rooms of your brother and his coach?"

"I already know that you did it the moment I went to him." She took the glass of gold-flavored water that the butler was handing her "and I'm glad to have you by my side. You're always so efficient..."

He smiled: "To me it's like a daughter, young lady. For me this is not a job, but a passion. It's nice to see your smile." he admitted earnestly, "Do I prepare the limousine? What time did you tell your brother that we were going to pass?"

She laid down the chalice: "I did not give him a precise time. But, considering that the cognitive functions of a human with an average IQ plan the day in such a way that everything has its own timetable and duration, those of a Chojin with an above-average IQ – such as Mantaro's coach – are more developed and therefore I’m almost certain – and that means having a percentage above eighty-five percent – that they are ready. Let's go," she replied.

Jacques thinned his gaze for a few seconds, then said, _"Oui,_ Miss. But say, how did you feel when you saw him again?"

Cris almost moved herself: "I couldn't believe it was really him. I... he seemed too old to me..." Jacques passed a silk handkerchief under her eyes, to prevent crying from ruining her nude makeup "Thank you. Now let's go," she concluded, taking the paint trunk again and heading for the elevator that would take them to the underground parking lot.

They got out, they took the limousine: it was black and had leather interiors and a water-replacement hot tub. Cris liked it a lot, but she didn't use it often.

Jacques opened the door to her, closed it, and then took the lead. Cristiana's "house" was in downtown Tokyo, and it would take about fifty minutes to get to Beverly Park. But for Cris they passed quickly, like a blink of an eye.

They stopped in front of the playground entrance, seeing that it was deserted at the time. It was better this way. They shouldn't have explained.

She saw her brother ready, with the suitcase by his side and his coach who – unsyed for him – Cris would consider a child. That explained the seat in the limo. She went down, while Jacques waited to pack his bags, and showed up: "Good morning. I am Cris, Mantaro's adopted sister. Please come in." and said nothing else, not least because Jacques was pushing Meat into the car seat. He tied him up, packed the bags, and then left for their new home.

Meat looked at his seat belt, then began: "I am Alexandria Meat. I was wondering ... why, Nisei, have you never told me about your sister?"

"Well, that's it..." Mantaro was embarrassed. "Not... I've never done it because-”

Cris said: "Mantaro and I are very close. He didn't tell you about me because he missed me. You know, I've been away seven years for my studies."

“Cris is a genius, Meat. She has an IQ of 320 points. She graduated at eleven only because when mum and dad adopted her, she was two and a half years old and didn't understand kinniku.” Mantaro explained, holding her sister's hand, "Even though she's a little stubborn and touchy, sometimes!" and here he laughed with gusto.

"Hey!" she said, "Not that you're outdone!"

Meat laughed, "Ah, ah! It's true, Mantaro! You too are stubborn and touchy ... but, if I may be able to put myself, how old are you? Twenty-one?"

"No, I am a bit younger. Eighteen, to be exact," she replied, "And I'm sorry to have put you in the car seat, _Alex,_ but you have to weigh at least forty kilos and be five feet tall for not having it... and from your folder, it says that you weight twenty-five kilos by a meter high ... mh, you’re overweight ... your BMI is 25.00. But it's not a problem. You just have to follow a diet to get back in shape," she said, flipping through the pages.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but who gave you that folder?”

"My Task Force, Alex. I hope you enjoy your new rooms. I just had them furnished, so that you can customize them as you like. Oh, we've arrived," she concluded, feeling the limousine stop.

She went down, followed by the two males. And they opened their mouths to see the gigantic glass structure projected before their eyes, where there were also several plants on the various floors, among other things.

"Wow ... little sister, do you live here?! And on what level?" asked Mantaro, astonished.

_“En fait,_ Mr. Mantarò, it's all your sister’s. Please, let me show you where you will stay," Jacques replied, as he took the suitcases of the two new tenants. Meanwhile Cris was on the phone with somebody unknown, but she was speaking in Spanish.

The butler walked fiercely as he saw the two aliens ecstatic with one eye.

"Jacques, how many degrees did my sister achieve?"

"The young lady? Forty-six and fifty-four masters. She also won twenty-seven Kal-El. Here, we're here," he said, pausing in front of a titanium door, "This is yours, Mr. Alex. Please, Your Highness, follow me. The room you will have is close to your sister's."

And, as they let Meat fix his stuff, they headed into the more technological - perhaps - wing of the glass palace.

"Here you go, sir. I hope it's to his liking," Jacques concluded, letting Mantaro enter the room with his suitcase.

He left it in the corner, as he sat on his new bed: it was soft, white, eye-to-eye and cross two squares, and was round. He sank into all that comfort. He hadn't slept on such a comfortable bed in a year.

He looked towards the large windows, and his eye fell on the glass and wood bedside table: there was a note. He took it and read it. It was his sister's. She said, _"Hello Little Brother. I'm glad you're coming to live with me. Now it will certainly be a new beginning. I hope this is to your liking. I missed you so much. I love you._ "

Mantaro smiled: that was certainly a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kal-El are scientific awards that are awarded every three months at a universal level. For the character of Cristiana I was a bit inspired by Temperance Brennan of Bones and a bit of Pico de Paperis 😉


	4. Meet again

Mantaro had woken up that day in good spirits and, incredibly, early in the morning. It was eight and forty-five, most likely he had awakened so early to his daily routine due to the fact that he had not yet disposed of all the adrenaline for the discovery of his sister. Maybe it would take him several weeks to realize that it wasn't a dream, but the pure reality.

He had slept as a king in that new and spacious bed, which he had discovered to have been studied specifically for his needs and his body, as Kinniku. Also, those blankets were so warm that he hadn't felt cold all night. Perhaps also because of the linen pajamas that he had had in his room, as another little gift.

He got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom to cool off, as well as to get dressed. As soon as he entered, he found a note from his sister that read: _"I hope you like these clothes, as soon as we get back from meeting your father and his friends, we're going to go do the wardrobe for you._ _❤_ " and, as soon as he took a look at the mannequin in the bathroom, he noticed that it was dressed in beige pants, a white T-shirt, a leather nail with silver zippers – and he could see that it was _real_ silver – and black lace-up shoes. He liked the outfit right away.

Washed, dressed and descended the stairs to get to what was supposed to be the dining room: Meat was already seated and was quite embarrassed by Jacques' perfect service, while his sister was drinking his red orange juice as she read files on what looked like a hologram. It was only nine o'clock in the morning and she was already at work. Although, when you think about it, he still didn't know what his sister did. Now he'd ask.

He saw that she was dressed in a very elegant and cool way, in a way: she wore a single-shoulder shirt with a kind of built-in belt, while she had black pants wide enough with laces to close them at the ankles, but she left loose and you could see the heels she was wearing, turquoise with a black lace. On the left side of the table was her bag, a large fire-red clutch.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed, greeting his sister with a kiss and smiling radially at his coach and Jacques.

The sister smiled and reciprocated the kiss, then said, "Good morning little brother! I see that you liked the outfit I made you prepare! I hope you slept well. Ready?"

"Ready, Cris! I can't wait to see what they're going to do by seeing you again!"

She sned a lock of hair, that day she had left them loose: "I too can't wait to see them again! But now eat, come on!"

The brother nodded and sat down, began to eat, but then asked, while he was enjoying the macedonia: "But big sister ... yes, that's it... what's your job?"

She stopped reading, looked her brother in the eye and said, "I don't want to be a wanderer. I am the president and CEO of Lux Technologies. I founded it myself and everything you do is on my own initiative. In addition to technologies, we also do a lot of research. Well, that's what I graduated for, remember?"

Mantaro looked at her in amazeed, never imagining that her sister was the president of Lux Technologies. He could never have done that. He smiled: "I'm glad you've achieved this. Now you just have to tell mom and dad, right?"

"Right," she replied, gently wiping her lips so as not to spoil her makeup, "Now let's go," she concluded, taking the keys of her Ferrari and brother by the hand. And Meat stood there, inebriated.

They got in the car, headed to the Budokan Stadium, where there was the meeting of the Legends, called by Mantaro under the name of Ikimon to make them the most beautiful surprise of all: the return of Cris..

"You'll see, they'll be very happy to see you again. " he began, "Especially since you have now become a real woman, big sister!" she laughed "And then they will be so happy ... maybe I can get a day off!"

"Well, we'll see," she concluded, parking the Ferrari outside the entrance to the stadium and heading inside with her brother.

They walked the corridors in silence, and as soon as they arrived at the door, Mantaro said to her, "Ready?" and opened, capturing the gazes of all the Legends. He looked at them and said, "I would like to introduce you to the president of Lux-"

Ataru blurted out, "Congratulations! Besides not training, bring us here this _whore_ who wants to sponsor us! You don't care about wrestling! And now you're gone!" and his tone was full of rage.

Cris looked at them disappointed, put her hands to cover her nose and mouth to try not to cry and then ran away, with tears in her eyes.

Mantaro looked at them in amazement and speechless and, after a few minutes, said, "Are you out?! That _was_ Cris! It was her! She's back after seven years! Your Chicca was here and you ... you ...” he could not speak, as he saw them bleaching.

"No ... you're lying!" said Robin. Not ... it was not possible for their Chicca to come back and they had met her again and insulted her in that way! It wasn't possible! Surely there was a mistake, or it was a bad joke by Kid Muscle! Of course!

They had waited seven long years to see her again, seven years in which they had continued to wonder how their Chicca had become, how she had grown up and how she had changed; seven years in which they had secretly _hated_ Mantaro because they believed he was the cause of his sister's journey, having felt excluded from two parents too _busy_ spoiling their only natural child. But they were wrong, Mantaro was not the cause. But they wouldn't have known.

In that time, which they had perceived as interminable precisely because of the absence of that girl with intelligence out of the norm, they had gone out of their way to try not to forget her, but to remember her as little as possible, because remembering her hurt them, because it reminded them that they could have always done _a little more_ not to let her go.

Mantaro looked at the older men with a certain note of tenderness in his eyes, yet he had to answer: "And how could it not be her? You know perfectly well that I would have recognized her even if I had been blind. You know perfectly well that I have never forgotten her smile, nor the light in her eyes when she laughed, nor her scent. Because she's my sister."

"Mantaro..." Terryman said, looking him in the eye. The child he had held at baptism seemed different to him, as if he had grown up in an instant.

"I know you _don't_ like me because you _only_ see the flaws I took from my father, but you could at least avoid giving her a whore, mh? I mean, at least you could let me finish talking."

Almost all of the Legends were astounded, that excess of sincerity had in common with Belinda and ... her sister. However, Robin replied, "It is ... is that we don't ... it seemed so different, behold." saw the prince look at him with a stern look "She no longer had a helmet with bangs, no longer dressed sporty, had heels at his feet and was made-up ... you know, we saw her last time as a child, and now we've found ourselves in front of a young woman, it's normal that we didn't recognize her."

The prince crossed his arms to his chest: "I don't think it's an excuse to give her a whore, though." continued undaunted, knowing that he was right, "Did you worship her so much, and now you no longer recognize her? Sounds _kind of_ weird, don't you think?"

"Show respect, kid," Buffaloman growled.

"I ... I beg your pardon. It's just that I remember how much you loved her... and how much she wanted to you. I remember you speaking to her in your language and she answered you. I remember she loved to speak in Spanish with you, Mr. Buffaloman." he looked them in the eye "But now I think she's disappointed... I'll try to get her through the anger. And when we come back here promise me that ... well...”

"Quiet, Mantaro, we will treat her as we have always treated her," Terryman concluded, seeing the boy walk out the door.

Mantaro had to take a bus and then a taxi to his sister's house, before waiting for Jacques to open the door to him, as he had neither the keys nor knew what tools his sister had invented to let people into his house.

As soon as he saw his sister's French butler, he asked, "Jacques, have you seen my sister? When they insulted her, I couldn't chase her. Now, where is he?"

The French looked down at the prince from the top of his one-hundred-and-eighty-eight meters, and then answered cordially: "The lady is in her room, Prince. You'll tell me what happened later, now go to her."

The prince only nodded, then climbed the glass stairs to go to his sister's room. If only he had known that Cris had invented a way not to use the stairs, different from any existing ... then entered the room.

"Cris..." whispered her brother, seeing his sister in a sea of tears.

She, in response, threw herself weeping on her brother's chest and began to say, "You know, when they adopted me, I was already two years old ... I still remember. Uncle Ataru noticed me, came up to me and said, crouching down, "Would you like to have a family?" I looked at him and said, "Family: a group of people who love each other. Why?" He said, "So you're going to have a mom and a dad." "Why me?" I finally asked him. He just smiled at me, and he was so sweet when he shook me hard. " she paused and sobbed, "You know, I always believed that it was actually him who wanted to adopt me, but since in Italy you have to be a couple to adopt he gave up being my father to be my uncle." she sobbed, "I feel so stupid! To... instead of saying yes right away, like every other child, I started asking questions about why! And at the same time, I stared curiously and wanted him to hug me again because no one had ever embraced me like that! And then... then when they adopted me I was so happy to have him by my side, he always cuddled me and whenever I was sad or I could not sleep because of the nightmares, he made me sleep with him ... I wish I had called him "uncle", but I felt inadequate! And then mom got pregnant and then you were born... Uncle Ataru decided to leave not because he hated you, I saw him so many times thinking about you and calling you with emotion in his voice, but because he did not want you to have a fighting style too perfect and complete! If he had trained you too, you would not have been able to create your own moves because if you had used his moves or those of the clan you would have been invincible! But I have suffered so much his absence! I had him with me almost two years and then he left! But I loved him so much! For ...” her brother listened to her and caressed her "for this reason, when I graduated for the first time, I decided to ... to leave to look for him and to study the world ... I wanted to take you away with me to let you know ... but you knew him, even if not as he wanted ... but know that he loves you very, very much. He loves you the way he loves me. And... and then, when I first saw Mom and Dad, they seemed very sweet but also ... resigned, I think they wanted to adopt me to become heir to the throne ..." Mantaro moved a lock of hair from her face: “You know, in these seven years I also wanted to commit suicide because I didn't ... I didn't feel loved, but Jacques made me give up ... then I fell in love ... and now I'm here, with you. But maybe ... maybe I should travel again..."

Mantaro squinted, and he began to fill with tears: "No! You... Please... it's--it was horrible the first month without you... I-I-I didn't eat anymore... I didn't talk anymore ... mom and dad were so worried that they sent me to the psychologist... I-I was talking through a puppet ... I didn't go to school anymore... I had to take private lessons and ... and I didn't want to go out anymore... Mom had started to control me while I was eating, while I was sleeping, and when I went to the bathroom, two housekeepers were always staring at me! ... it was horrible! Don't leave, please!" he pleaded, crying.

She stroked him and frolicked his hair: "I'm sorry, little brother. But now I promise you that you will not suffer like this anymore ... what you went through because of me was traumatic but I assure you I will try to make you forget that. And as a result, I have to ask you something."

"What?" asked the youngest, now using his sister's breasts as a pillow.

"Do you want to take part in my studies?" she asked excitedly. She had spent so much time looking at those stars that his brother loved, and had decided to ask him.

"I...” Mantaro began. “Yes! I want to follow you," he replied, gaining confidence.

She smiled, pulled out a blue velvet box, and said, "Then you're going to need this."

Mantaro looked at the question box: "But big sister ... what is it?"

Cris opened it, there was a key inside: "Now that you live with me you have to have the keys to your house, don't you?" she asked.

Mantaro was moved and took the key: "You are crazy ..."

"Crazy? Maybe. Who wants to give you what you deserve? Yes. Always," she smiled. She was happy to see him like this.

Mantaro embraced her movedly. He had never seen anyone give him such ablind and totalconfidence. He never expected that. "I ... really, I didn't expect it..." he was still in disbelief.

"You never wanted to follow in your father's footsteps, so I don't think it's right that you live in that ... hovel.”

The prince laughed, "Come on, Cris! It's not so bad!"

"Yeah, it will be..." answered skeptically her. "And also, today we go to redo your wardrobe. Armani and D&G are waiting for us..."

"You're even crazier...""

"Hey, if you're the adoptive brother of an Italian, you have to know how to dress..." she answered, "And then my brother must expose the sculptural physique that God has given him... and then Kevin has to die of envy seeing you."

"Why?" he naively asked.

"I'll explain it to you later ... now let's go," he concluded, kissing him on the cheek.


	5. Jokes and cure

Cris, after the disastrous encounter with the Legends, had remained very angry with them and wanted revenge and, knowing them all too well, had devised an evil plan. True, his beloved little brother would have fallen into it, but she couldn't afford to fail. In fact, precisely because she did not want to fail, she decided that she would need help from her best friend. But first she had to finish the shopping round to renew Mantaro's wardrobe.

"Then little brother, how about we finish renewing the wardrobe with a ride from Valentino?" she asked, embracing him sideways.

Mantaro smiled awkwardly, put his sunglasses on his head and answered, "F-For me it's okay, big sister, but ... you're not exaggerating?"

"Absolutely. And then, I have to teach you the fashion sense ... I'm going to make you a _fashion victim..."_ answered her.

The brother took it personally: "What do you mean by that? That I can't dress?

"No. You know how to dress as a diploid creature that has reached puberty and is therefore able to reproduce and think for itself. What I wanted to say is that you lack the taste and the class."

"Ah," the prince replied in a dry tone, then followed his sister inside "Maison Valentino." They came in, followed the stylist's tricks, she made him take the prince's measurements and then they went out, having ordered a personal collection.

Cris walked sinuously in her heels, while her brother almost struggled to keep up with her. They walked the most fashionable streets in Tokyo, returned to the parking lot where Cris had left the Ferrari and, before setting in motion, received a call. Then she said, "Ready? Ah, hello love! ... Yes, I'm here with him... you say it's come on-- ... OK, so let's go straight there. I'm waiting for you, huh! They will be overjoyed ... yes, yes I hope so too ... I leave you, I love you."

Needless to say, his brother was shocked and jealous that his sister had a boyfriend, and that he asked, "Big sister, who are you engaged to?"

She smiled: "Oh, soon you will see it ... I'm sure you can become good friends!" she saw her brother's gaze "Ok ... I can tell you that he's a Chojin too... he’s beautiful and makes me feel like a princess, always cuddles me and fills me with gifts ... a true _gentleman_."

"Ah o ... OK ...” and the speech fell there, leaving Mantaro inebriated.

Because the stadium where the Legends had gathered was not far from the parking lot, Cris was able to drive quickly and arrived in twenty minutes in front of the stadium. She got out of the car, took her brother by the hand and led him to the door where all the Legends were, and said to him, "Come in, and tell them that I'm sending you and that you have to stay here because I have a surprise for all of you." 

Manraro, as a good brother, entered the hall and said, "Er... h-hi ... C-Cris sends me ... says I have to stay here with you be-because she has a surprise to show us..."

It was Buffaloman who spoke, saying, "We don't care about the surprise, we want to know if she's mad at us!"

"No offense, eh," began Mantaro, who lost all fear when he heard of his sister, "But I think giving her a whore was not the idea of the century! You saw how she cried... I've never seen her so down! However, the surprise is about her fiancée-” but he didn't finish the sentence that he found them pointed at him.

"Boyfriend? Cris has a boyfriend?! And you couldn't have said that before?! How is it, who is it?"

"Eh?! I-I don't know ... I just know it's be ... beautiful and that's a C-Chojin..."

"Think about-"

"Surprise!" said Cris, entering the room with Kevin Mask who had a baby, a beautiful baby, in his arms. He had long hair down to hir shoulders, blonde, and two sky blue eyes. .

"Surprise!"

“Not... I don't understand ..."

Kevin snorted a little resentfully, then said, "Usually I wouldn't be seen by you or you, Dad, but we decided it was also the moment that you knew David, _our_ _son_."

Mantaro was the only one who could speak and asked, "How your son! Cris, you won't tell me that ... that you and Kevin to ... you have a –"

"Child? Yes, exactly. Two years ago, we got together and our little angel was born, didn't he, David?" she asked, holding his son.

"Yes, Mom!" he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"So, Dad," Kevin filmed, "this is your first grandchild. Wait until April and you'll see Alexander too."

"No, no, no! I don't care if you love yourself, if this is your son, I don't care if you, big sister, you're two months pregnant! You two can't be together! So give the baby up for adoption and never see each other again! Ah, right: Cris, you have to have an abortion," Mantaro said, with sheer anger in her eyes and heart.

Cris said, indignantly, "Mantaro, but how dare you, eh?! And you, don't you say anything?"

"We ... we ...” Robin was dumbfounded, he did not know what to say or what to do "We ..."

"Well, I'd say that ... you're really chickens!" exclaimed Cris, laughing with gusto, "The joke has been successful, guys! Give me the five!" and that's how they saw Kevin and that phantom kid beat the five warmly. She looked at them and began to explain, "Well, what is it? You insulted me and treated me badly, it was logical for me to take revenge. Kevin and I aren't together, and this isn't our son: his name is Carlos, he's the cousin of a work colleague of mine. Thank you, baby."

"Nothing!" he replied, smiling. Then he came out of her arms and gave her hand, "Now can I _letuln_ to my cousin?"

"Of course," she replied, leaving the scene with him and Kevin and leaving the others there, like stockfish.

Mantaro had his eyes wide open and did not know what to say or think, his sister making a joke? And why hadn't she burst out laughing in the middle of the act? It used to happen like this all the time!

Robin found the courage to speak, and said, "Mantaro, I think it's better if you go back to training, what do you say? And still carry our apologies to your sister, we shouldn't have treated her that way. She was right to make that joke ...”

"Ohw, usually jokes never got her! That's not fair! I also behaved like a heartless one ... anyway, she asked me to tell you if you wanted to come by this Thursday night, so she tells you a few things about these seven years ... Are you coming?" exclaimed the prince, who was mad at himself for not understanding the joke. Then he smiled at the older ones who, whether they wanted or not, were heartened by the smile of the smallest in the league.

Sometimes it occurred to them how much his father had wanted him, how much care they had done to get him, and the joy he had felt when he showed it to him, calmly whispering that that was his baby, Mantaro; and they also thought that wherehewas much loved. They knew, in their hearts, that King was a really good father, but they would never admit him, at least, not in his presence.

"Of course, we would be happy," replied Ramenman, with his proverbial calm.

Then Mantaro smiled again, took a piece of paper and handed it to him: "This is her address. When I saw her house I was amazed ... and I think so will you. Do you know that she took other degrees after the first one?"

"Really?" they all asked.

The prince smiled beamingly, proud of his sister: "Yes! I'm proud of my big sister ... and I think you will be too! I have to go, Cris is waiting for me. On Thursday evening, then!" and, doing "hello" with his hand, he left the hall.

"Tell me it seemed to you that he grew up in an instant," Terryman began, looking at an indefinite point with his gaze sky, “Because he now has a different light in his eyes."

"Already, Mantaro no longer acts like a child ... but maybe he behaved like this because of the trauma he suffered at Cris' departure..." Buffaloman continued, "If that's the truth - and I'm sure it _is_ \- then I really misbehaved against him. I should not have felt all that resentment believing that he was the cause of _my_ Chicca's journey..."

Robin sighed and crossed his arms, then said, "I believe that almost most all of us, more or less, have experienced the same emotions as you, Buffaloman ... we will have to apologize to Mantaro. But let's not do it on Thursday night, when we go to her... let's think about it again. Right now, I think Mantaro knows why we treated him like this... and I think he's already forgiven us."

"That's not safe," Terryman continued, "It's always _our_ little disaster, right?" he asked, then. That nickname they had given them all by mutual agreement, when as a child he combined with crushes and raws around the palace, but he loved them very well and always welcomed them with a kiss and a hug.

"Absolutely," they all answered in chorus, smiling slightly.

Cris was sitting in front of her brother who looked at her with a mixture of happiness and hesitation: she knew that the news had put him a little in shock, but sooner or later she should have told him. She looked at him for a moment, then asked, seeing him inebriated: "Brother, is everything okay? Did I hurt you?"

Mantaro vigorously blinked, then answered hesitantly: "N-No ... me, that's it... Not... I don't know what to say..." looked a moment on the ground "Here ... You... For you it's ... Is it so important?"

Cris' eyes became languous and dreamy: "Yes. I love him with all of myself. Maybe at first you may not get along, but I'm sure you'll become good friends."

"If he loves you, big sister, then he's already my friend," he gave her a kiss in the forehead, "And then, if you love him, he won't be this _bad boy,_ isn't he?"

"I think a _bad boy_ is just someone who suffered and was misunderstood, wasn't he?"

"If you say so ... as long as your fiancé isn't Kevin Mask!"

"Why?" she asked, almost nervous.

Mantaro thought he had answered this because Kevin was one of his closest friends, and he replied, "Well, I know he's one of your best friends, but you know he doesn't have a very easy character... and then we want to discuss his past? I mean, I respect him a lot for the courage he showed, but before he was in the d.M.p. ... it's not that easy to change your ways, you know?"

"It was a gesture of rebellion, little brother ... you know, I think you should try to figure it out a little bit more."

"All right, I'll try ... now I have to go, if not, who hears Meat?" and ran up, where was the gym that she had built just for him.

Cris sighed, then pulled out her cell phone and called her boyfriend: "Hey, hello love..."

– _Hello, my sweet_ _tiger. How did it go?_

"Here ... let's say it went a little bit as I thought, but in other ways ..."

– _Why,_ _what happened? Did he hit you?!_

She smiled: "No, but how do you think! He's my little brother," she said, "and he hoped my fiancé wouldn't be a _bad boy_ like Kevin Mask, or rather, he hopes it's not Kevin Mask ... says that it is difficult to change the way."

– _Ah._ – It was the dry answer at the other end of the phone – I _understand. But I'm sure after our dinner he will change his mind ..._

"I hope so," she continued, "It's just that I know it's going to be hard for all of them to accept it. But I don't care. We love each other, right?"

– _It's one of the few things I'm sure of. You and I love each other, and that's what matters. Except for our little secret._

"Obviously," she replied, "I believe it is our reason for living, our little bond."

– _You_ _know, there are times when I wonder if I should not come back to you._

She smiled again: "We have already discussed it, _my little wolf_. When it's all over, we'll live together again."

– _I_ _know, but I wonder if it's the right choice._

"No, it was the right choice to make. You just have to focus on that, you know."

– _Yes, I know. I have to go now. They're waiting for me. I miss you._

"You like the sun at dawn. " and closed the call.

"Miss, were you talking to him?" began Jacques, coming from the kitchen.

"Yes, Jacques ... we were discussing Thursday's dinner ... On Mantaro ... and our relationship."

The French smiled: "Don't worry, remember the wait makes everything more beautiful. You will be even more united when it is all over."

"Yes, I know," she looked into his eyes: "Thank you. Now I have to go, I've never been so much out of the lab."

Jacques smiled disconsolately: "Twenty minutes is not an eternity, Miss..."

"Yes, but the more time passes, the more late we are for cancer treatment!" and she went to the lab, where her co-workers were waiting for her. When she arrived, she put on her dark blue coat – which she only put on when she was not alone in the lab – and said, "Okay, guys, here I am. Sorry about the delay, but I was talking to Mantaro and him. But now tell me: is there anything new?"

Joseph, dark blue eyes and fiery red hair, son of Canadianman, replied with a slight smile: "You don't have to apologize, it's a very delicate subject and it's good that Mantaro is well disposed. As for the news, your assumptions were correct, but we haven't seen them yet. We were waiting for you."

"And then," added Specialman's son Liam, "even if you took a little more time with your brother, it wasn't a problem, you know? I mean, that argument could traumatize him, and you know better than me that-”

"Yes, yes, I know," Cris said, "But now at work: I don't pay you millions for anything, you know?"

"We thought you were paying us to be with you..." answered the two friends, then set to their posts.

Cris, after she had reviewed the reports on the research she had given order to perform in the laboratory, put herself under the microscope and cautiously began to drop tiny drops weighing a gram on an indefinite mass of cells: three drops were enough to break down the mass. "Joseph, Liam, here," she said only, and the two knew that that meant only one thing: victory. "Look where the mass used to be."

"Now there's nothing!" exclaimed the two in chorus, then embraced Cris.

Liam said: "The neoplasia has disintegrated instantly, the title of genius you deserve with your eyes closed! We found the cu-"

"Wait to say it, Lilo. First I'd like to make sure it has no side effects. And above all, that it does not regrow cancers. First of all I would like to understand why you have the alteration of cells. We are close to this discovery, let's say we're missing that fifteen percent that will confirm our assumptions. So, for now, let's study the side effects. Then we can-”

"I know I'm interrupting you at a critical point, but I'd like to know why you dropped the _CHK-12?_ It was already working well as a-”

Cris blocked Joseph with one hand, then tears sprung into her eyes: "Because CHK-12 acted as a molecular remodeler, reprogramming cancers to other diseases or minor dysfunctions that can be treated in different ways. And I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for the _cure._ Remember that. And then, after what happened..."

Liam put his hands on her shoulders:"Cris, what you did to your father you did for his own good. He's alive now, isn't he? That's what matters. Of course, it's not what he used to be, but we can get him back to what he used to be. Don't feel guilty, you couldn't do anything else."

"Ah, no? I gave my father an experimental treatment, Liam, _experimental_! We didn't know what side effects it would bring, and you saw them with your own eyes! It wasn't him anymore! It was warped!"

"Now you're exaggerating! He wasn't deformed, it just sped up what cancer would bring him to! And you know better than us that without you he would already be three meters underground, so don't consider yourself guilty, because you're his savior!" they both unbuttoned, to calm her down.

"But he's still my father, and I shouldn't have made him like this!"

"Yes, you are right, but do you understand that now you have the opportunity to heal him completely? "Joseph looked her in the eye, "Come on, Cri, let's get back to work."

She nodded her head: "You are right. We have lives to save." and they went back to their studies. They wouldn't see people suffer unnecessarily anymore, no. Never again.


	6. Emotional mutism

Suguru and Belinda had been summoned for a top-secret Muscle League meeting. Which was strange, they usually never invited the queen. But it was also true that Robin had been hasty, he said it was something about both of them. In fact, Suguru had half an idea of what the English might have said, but preferred to listen to it with his ears.

They arrived a few minutes late, so when he opened the door the king said, "Excuse the delay, they could not find a space to land. Now, why did you summon us here?" then they sat down.

"Did anything happen to Mantaro?" asked the queen worriedly, her night blue eyes worried.

"Not exactly ... yes, it has to do with him too-" attempted the English, but she went on:

"If it's something about him and it's a "not exactly" then I have to worry!"

Suguru intervened, after raising his eyes to the sky – something noted by his friends: "Dear, calm down. No need to fret. Also, because maybe it's good news."

"Yes, you're right," she replied, then went on, "So, Mr. “Hey Bitch!", what do you have to tell us?" and that last sentence sent a muffled laugh to all but Robin.

"How long will this story go?"

"Until death." theatrical pause "And even after."

"Okay, let's forget about ... rather, I summoned you here because-- " - They've arrived. -

"Brother, this game is not fun. Take off my blindfold, because I have a lot of things to do ... one of all I have to locate and isolate the factor-6 in the protozoa of the pleistoce ... - the brother took off her blindfold and found herself in front of her parents and the Legends - ... ne - she had a moment of panic - Uh, hello, Mr. Kinn --" but Cris didn't finish talking that her mother hugged her weepingly.

"My child," she said, "look how you grew up …" she clasped her tightly, her eyes closed and a glowing, ill-conceived smile.

Cris, meanwhile, was still paralyzed by surprise, staring at her father – who confirmed her the oath – and uttered no words.

"Big sister, did you like the surprise? Did you see that—” Mantaro thought he had done what his sister liked, but ...

"If I hadn't wanted to meet them yet there was a reason, but I don't think you can understand. Now I'm sorry," she said to Belinda, "but I really have to go. Your beauty, however, is increasingly heavenly." and it came out of the room.

The brother – more than his mother – had a look to say the least destroyed. He didn't realize that he had started to cry, that reaction had hurt him like never before.

The mother noticed her son's state and said, "Mantaro ..."

"It's not her anymore... what happened to her?" and regardless of all the adults trying to stop him ran out. He felt sad, distressed, distraught. Cris was no longer the child he grew up with. Seemed... looked like an automaton. And an automaton had no emotions. He couldn't live with a sister like that. If he had to open her eyes at the cost of his life, he would.

The director did so to follow his son: "Wait, Belinda."

Belinda spoke patiently: "I don't care what you're about to say, darling. I'm going to see my son. The only one I have left. And maybe the only one we've ever had."

Suguru took her by the arm, looking sternly in the eye: "Don't say so. We can't know what our daughter went through before she came to live with us. If she's behaved like that, there's a reason. A reason that is perhaps so ingrained that we will not be able to discover."

“Mh? What do you mean?" the question came from both Robin and Terryman.

"When Cris was still very young, even after weeks of adopting her, I noticed that she had behaviors that I could define as particular. For example, she loved her teddy bear, but she never played with that."

"Well, it doesn't seem very strange to me, this, love."

"Yes, except that the night or dressed him in armor taken by some soldier or built around him a kind of fort. I still don't understand why she did it, probably some childhood trauma."

"What?" Belinda felt her heart tighten, she thought she knew everything about her daughter and instead ...

"If that's why she calls us "mom" and "dad," Belinda. I remember perfectly well that she was trying to teach Mantaro to say both "mom" and "dad", and she told him a lot of things about us. With Mantaro she never called us "Mr. and Mrs. Kinniku" ... least, until she grew up a little. He can't remember, but I can. Maybe she calls us that because of another trauma, I don't know."

"She probably wasn't ready to see us yet, which is why she behaved so abruptly. " sighed “I go to Mantaro, I will try to make him think. I know it sounds strange to you – she turned to the Legends – but he is my son and something he took from me too, and I know that in this situation he could make a head knock." and she went outside.

"Suguru..." Buffaloman attempted.

"Sometimes I feel like I've got it all wrong as a father to her... maybe I shouldn't have let her go and I should have investigated her past more... But every time I looked into her eyes, I became a coward and I didn't want to traumatize her anymore..."

"No," Robin said, "you behaved egregiously with her," he looked into his eyes, placing a hand on his shoulder, "But I should have learned a little more from you."

Suguru smiled slightly: "Don't say that, Robin ... you still don't know all of Kevin's secrets. Maybe it turns out he's with my daughter." - Oh, but why should I behave like that? -

"And I would have won the bet." everyone went back to sit back _"Sounds good_."

Terryman interjected, "Oh, come on, we know full well that Cris is going to be with my Terry."

“Tsk. I already imagine Natsuko," the king continued, "but the problem would be Mantaro. I can already see him following them from all sides, sleeping with Cris to prevent Terry from coming and sleeping with each other to prevent them from touching ..." his eyes lit up: "Let's do it as a joke, I want to see Mantaro's jealousy. Terry, call your son so we can make the most epic joke ever."

"And how would Belinda take it?"

"Forget what I said."

"You start immediately in the fourth. What if Cris gets in with my son? Already I imagine Catori, on cloud nine ... would be all perfect. If it happens, I'll stop eating maple syrup." continued Canadiaman, arms crossed behind the nape of the neck.

“Seh, you are more likely to give up your wife than maple syrup. And by the way, Cris and Liam have always got along, ever since they were kids," Specialman concluded.

Warsman said, "I say she is free to love whoever she wanta. Stop fantasizing, otherwise you will be disappointed."

-Well said, Wars. Too bad you don't know what I know- the king thought.

"Uff, when you do that, you're really boring, Wars! Aren't you curious to see our victim too?" asked Buffaloman, "We decided a long time ago... Now you don't agree anymore?"

"I don't deny that making her boyfriend regret it is funny, but I also know that she would suffer, and we don't want her to suffer, right?" – Also, because you haven't seen what I've seen. -

"Of course not!" they all answered in chorus.

"Well, so we agree that we won't torment her boyfriend if she ever has."

"Don't even threaten him?" asked Rikishiman.

"Warsman is right," Terryman said, "also because my Terry will never make her suffer, otherwise I'll sell him the horse."

"And then," Ramenman said, "she doesn't have to like men. Maybe she loves women," that phrase brought down a cold silence in the room, "What is it? You must not think she likes men."

"But why don't you, forget it!" exclaimed Pentagon, "To argue with you makes no sense. Besides, she doesn't look like a lesbian. And then, I mean, when she was little she saw me, she can't like women."

"Modesty aside," Suguru said, "it's not because as a young man you had many girls around you that my daughter dreams of being with you at all time!"

The American crossed his arms behind the back of his head: "If Chicca was in love with me, I would marry her right away. Our love would taste so forbidden..." they all slaughtered him with their eyes, "Okay, I'm going to stop."

That's when Belinda came back, "What have I missed?"

Suguru said, earnestly, "Nothing, dear."

"Ah ... so you discussed our daughter's likely boyfriend? The important thing is that Mantaro doesn't know. It would be super-jealous.” Then, she sat down next to her husband: "So? What came out?"

"That Cris might be a lesbian. " her husband had a barely contented smile.

Belinda frothed: "What? You won't tell me that-“

"It's a hypothesis that our beloved Victory proposed," Pentagon began, taking her hand, "But rest assured, in case your daughter is a lesbian, I will personally take care to get her back on the right path. " she kissed her hand, but a fury threw him against a wall with unheard of force.

"No one touches my mom!" exclaimed Mantaro with two bloodshot eyes. Then, when his mother stroked him, he calmed down.

"Honey, why are you here?"

"That's it...". Mantaro scratched his neck embarrassed. “I heard "Cris" and "lesbian" in the same sentence..."

Robin reassured him, saying, "Nothing that, Mantaro, Ramenman just said that your sister might not like men. And then Pentagon said that he would like to marry her." he had a sadistic twinkle in his eye, and he saw the prince give an elbow to the American who had just risen "I would give it to him at the temple ... no, stop! That's enough!" and he blocked it by the armpits to ward off the worst.

"Mantaro?" said Belinda, stern.

The son sighed, "I'm sorry to have you taxed, Mr. Pentagon ... but you don't try with my mother or my sister anymore." the voice hardened.

Buffaloman laughed, "Quiet, _ni_ _ñ_ _o,_ if your sister is a lesbian, he won't try again!"

Robin left Mantaro: "But why do you say she's a lesbian? I'm almost completely sure my sister likes men... also because she told me that she would introduce me to her boyfriend at dinner tomorrow night, so ...”

Pentagon immediately recovered: "And that man will be me!"

Belinda lost patience, approached Pentagon, and blocked him to the wall, saying, "If you don't stop with this story, you will be the next person I will unsy it, even though I quitted as a young woman."

Mantaro grained his sapphire-blue eyes: "What? Mom, you..."

Suguru rose suddenly, put his hands on his son's shoulders, and said, "Son, that's enough, you have to go and train, otherwise how do you win the Chojin?"

"No! Mom... Mom who you ... does that mean?"

Suguru hugged him sideways: "Little, come on, let’s g-" but Mantaro ran away again, this time with his eyes filled with tears of disappointment and shock.

Belinda had a sorry and self-accusing expression on her face, if she had been more careful her son would not have discovered her dark past. "Heaven, what did I do?" and she put her hand to cover her mouth.

"Perhaps you should go looking for him. At this age he can-“

"No, Buffaloman," Suguru said, "Mantaro needs to be alone. He needs to let off steam. I know my son."

"Yes, but love-"

"We had to tell him sooner or later. It's good that we’ve told him now, because he's got Cris by his side again. I'm sure he'll reason. " he paused, "Did you have anything else to tell us?"

"No," Robin replied, looking his friend in the eye. He was quiet.

Meanwhile, Mantaro – who was running blindly – slammed into a person who went the other way – and then came from the entrance of the stadium: "Brother, what's going on?"

The brother got up from the ground: "Here," he tried to wipe away his tears, "did you know that Mom was a murderer?"

Cris then hugged her brother and squeezed him tightly to her chest: "Yes. But it wasn't what you think. She was part of the Earth Defense Force, the team that exterminated the Kaijuu. Then she left it and went with Dad."

"Really?" he stopped crying, "Then I have to go and apologize. Would you come with me?"

"Of course, because I too have to apologize to them," and the two brothers still walked to that room. Cris was the first to enter, opening the door and saying, "Er ... I wanted to apologize, I was too abrupt. I'm really happy to see you again, I missed you too much. I apologized, now it's your turn!" and pulled his brother by an elbow.

"Ahio! I'm coming, I'm coming! It's not because you don't know what to say you put me in the middle, huh! And by the way, I was going to apologize!" he turned to her mother, "Sorry mom, I didn't have to react like that."

Cris quoted: "Well, we apologized, so we can go home, since I have to make you stronger than Kevin. I could genetically modify you, but that's more fun." and pushed him out, lifting the curtain.

Mantaro and Cristiana were travelling comfortably in the Ferrari, heading home where his sister was going to show him what she had studied and accomplished to make him even stronger and more agile than he was before. She loved his brother and would do anything for him, which is why she had already built his future custom car – this the prince would find out soon, as after Thursday's dinner Cristiana had planned to unveil to the prince his gift room. A room only for Mantaro. For the gifts of others there was a special room, but they were all together, instead for his little brother ...

Cris was focused on driving while her brother looked at the urban landscape of that area of Tokyo and thought it was the right time to ask her that thing. On the other hand, she had already reviewed the most important people in her life, why not introduce her to his friends? The problem was that ... that Mantaro was aware that his friends had known a Mantaro who was not the real Mantaro, which is why he was afraid of what might happen next.

To begin with, he wasn't even convinced that they would forgive him for that fact, that is, to keep them in the dark about his sister's existence. It was not something that could be hidden so easily but, accomplices to his trauma that it did not want to allow him to talk about her and the Legends that had always avoided talking about her, this impossibility had turned into reality. He was trying to prepare mentally for that meeting, because he knew perfectly well how his sister could be but ... he was much more afraid of the reactions of his friends.

He took courage and asked, "Sister, before we get home, we can ... can we go to my friends? I would like to let you know ... you know, they don't know about your existence," he concluded, ashamed of what he just said.

"The fact that you feel ashamed that you have omitted my life from your friends indicates your awareness of the trauma you have sustained because of me. – smiled briefly, as they were stopped at the traffic lights – But yes, I'd like to meet your friends. You just told me a little bit, and I'm curious to see their faces. Also because, in ninety-eight percent of cases, male Chojin tend to physically resemble their fathers, if they only had their father Chojin, while the Chojin with both Chojin parents are subject to the genetic _crossing_ _over_."

Another person would have felt uncomfortable with that way of speaking, but Mantaro was used from an early age to that peculiarity of his sister, so for him it was an ordinary thing. He said, "Not to mention that the probability of them inheriting genetic peculiarities multiplies in the case of pure DNA, while in a "metique" DNA this probability is halved, not encountering the possibility of _crossing over_." concluded, wonderful her sister. He explained, "You know, I've never forgotten what you taught me..."

Cris smiled proudly: "Well, then you'd better reach your friends as soon as possible. Where are they right now?"

"At the Tokyo Dome. They are there because the Federation has granted that place to train before the next meetings, as Ikimon wants to supervise members who did not participate in the Olympics or who were eliminated. Ikimon usually supervises for about two hours and then leaves to organize the next events, so when we get there we won't find him."

"It's perfect. Although he does not know that I will be the sponsor, since he spoke with Jacques, I would not like your friends to think about any _recommendations_ or _facilitation_." she gave a quick glance at the navigator "In twenty-five minutes we will be at our destination. Do you want to warn me about something, in the meantime?" she asked, swerving to turn left.

Mantaro thought about it and then said, "Here ... since the appearance of some of my friends are a little ... Uh... unconventional, could you not come up with phrases like "Could I study you or experiment on you" ?"

Cris braked, in two hundred meters they would arrive at their destination: "All right, all right, I'll try not to comment on my work, all right? But that's the only deal I'm going to make."

"Of course, big sister." Cris parked the car and Mantaro went down: "You wait for me here, I'm going to explain the situation and ... and when I come back you can follow me, okay?"

She smiled dazzlingly: "Sure, in the meantime I'll fix the makeup and control my companies. Take it easy, little brother,” and received a kiss on the cheek before her brother ran inside the Tokyo Dome.

Mantaro showed his pass to the security guards, who immediately let him through; then he ran to the center of the stadium, where he knew his friends were training, and in fact they were. Terry was fighting Gazelleman, while Seiuchin was working with the weights. He spoke, drawing attention: "Hey, guys..."

Seiuchin was the first to freeze, putting the weights in place: "Hey, _aniki,_ but where were you?! This morning we went to your house, but you weren't there, neither you nor Meat, and we looked for you everywhere. You weren't even answering calls! Did something happen?"

Terry and Gazelleman also approached Seiuchin: "Seiuchin is right, Mantaro. You know you can tell us anything, right? So? You don't want to leave the Olympics right now, right?!" exclaimed the two in chorus.

Mantaro squinted, "Wha-Eh?! No, you're just out of the way! I ... - looked down - ... I no longer live there, and Meat did not even ..." blocked them before they could point out that _it_ was not so easy to leave the place that had been entrusted to him by the Federation "I will explain everything later, really; but now I would just like to tell you that a very special person came here with me ... _my sister_."

The three were frozen by that news. Mantaro who had a sister? And when is that?! No one had ever spoken of the fact that the Kinniku royal family had even had another child, and Mantaro had never mentioned her, indeed; he had always said that his parents could only have him as a child, a kind of real miracle; how was it possible that a sister would now come out?!

"You can ... can you repeat?" the only one who found the strength to speak was Terry, "Did you really say "my sister," Mantaro?"

Mantaro nodded: "Yes. Not... I never told you about her because when she left for her studies I was only eight years old and it traumatized me, that's why I never talked about her, it hurt too much. Here... she's a genius, that's why she's been away seven years for her studies... she's only three years older than me, so yes, she's my older sister. If... if you want to meet her, I will accompany her here."

Seiuchin smiled, nodding, "Of course we want, _aniki!"_ and saw Mantaro hurtle toward the exit to reach his sister. The Irishman then turned around and said, "What do you think Mantaro's sister will be like?"

Terry settled his hair, then leaned against the ropes of the ring and, snorting, answered, "Mah ... in my opinion will be the usual geek, not very fit, sloppy and with pimples ... if she wears the same mask as Mantaro, it will be a real reproach!"

The others did not have time to say theirs that Mantaro arrived with his sister, and there their jaws fell. It wasn't at all like Terry had described it, no no. It was the exact opposite. Lean physique, toned and firm; perfectly straight legs, model shoulders and a face that was all to say. Dark brown, almond-shaped eyes; slightly fleshy lips and perfect eyebrows. Very long hair, probably reached the butt. Dark blondes. And finally, she wore a short, low-cut, uneaker dress that completely bandaged and made it desirable for any man. Not forgetting the vertiginous heels.

Mantaro approached his friends holding a hand on his sister's right side, saying, "Guys, I introduce you to my older sister, Cristiana! Sister, these are my friends!"

Cristiana sensed that her brother's friends were astonished, so she said, "Pleased to know you, Mantaro has told me a lot about you. – she looked at them – Interesting ... emotional mutism. Clearly second-degree. It was caused by trauma, almost certainly my appearance did not correspond to the canons that they had prefabricated according to stereotypes and beliefs." she turned to her brother "You did not tell me that they had this inclination. Not bad, they can train their behavior so they don't have any such reactions anymore." she smiled at her brother and then went back to look at them, “You are definitely Terryman's son, in you expressed all the genetic heritage inherited from your father. While you two ... from the shape of your face and body I can infer that you are originally from Tanzania ... Chojin similar to dik-diks have been documented only there. You, on the other hand, have the clear features of the Chojin originating in the Arctic Circle that have migrated to Ireland ... However, excluding your physical characteristics that I can infer from me, I would like to know your names." and smiled again, trying to seem friendly. The problem was that after that psychological-scientific analysis it was hard to seem friendly ... most likely had frightened them.

Mantaro looked at his friends with an embarrassed smile, aware that not everyone could immediately understand his sister's behavior, and begging them with his eyes gave Terry the courage to break the ice: "I am Terry, pleasure to make your acquaintance. "He reached out to her a hand that she shook smiling “Mantaro said that you have been away these seven years for your studies. One day, when you have time, I'd like to know more," she smiled.

"But of course!" then Cris looked at Seiuchin and Gazelleman, waiting for them to show up too.

"Yeah ... I am Seiuchin, pleased to meet you! Mantaro has a different light in his eyes from the time you came back."

"And I am Gazelleman.” He didn't make much moine, he shook her hand looking at her with a little squint, because she had already frightened him enough.

Mantaro applauded happily, smiled, and then said, "Well, now that you've met, we can also go home, big sister! I wouldn't want you to waste time on your job!" and, after saying goodbye to his friends, they left.

Gazelleman approached Terry and said, "Not very fit, sloppy and pimpleed ... if she wears the same mask as Mantaro it will be a real reproach!" Other than reproach! She's as beautiful as a Victoria's Secret model! Of course, she is ten centimeters short, but otherwise ...! Can you tell where you came up with that description?"

Terry put his hands before his chest as if to protect himself from an accusation: "Hey, it's not my fault if the geeks are like that in my town!" then his gaze grew languishing "But now that things are like this ... who knows, maybe I'll think about it!"

Gazelleman punched him in the head: "Yes, so your children will be robots! But please!"


	7. Dinner with surprise

"Brother, I would like you to train with Jacques." Cristiana’s request sounded absurd to the ears of Meat, who saw in the butler a simple human being, not a Chojin, so useless to use him as a sparring partner. So, Meat thought well of speaking:

"Cristiana, with all due respect, I am very grateful to you for everything you are doing for me, but I do not believe that Mr. Jacques can be a _sparring partner_ suited for Mantaro. He is a human, not a Chojin, so I seriously doubt that he can stand up to your brother, who in addition to being a Chojin is also a Kinniku."

Mantaro was sitting in front of his sister, on the couch, and did not get soer at all when she did not make a crease. Meat still knew nothing about Jacques' past, so he could only make speeches of that kind. But Mantaro decided not to speak, but to observe the behavior of his sister's butler. He was behind her, standing, arms crossed behind his back. He watched Meat, but it was hard to understand what he could say or think. He seemed to be waiting for orders.

Cris smiled almost enough. She slid her legs and said,"See, Alex, you must know that Jacques, in addition to being a trusty and perfect butler, was a military man. But perhaps it's better if you tell him your story, Jacques.”

She looked at his sea blue eyes, then smiled at her and looked at Meat, explaining: "You see, sir, before I embarked on this career, I was a member of the French leather heads. I was a counterterrorism captain, specializing in combat and espionage. Chojin were also allowed in my section, which I personally trained. For this reason, I believe I'm more than qualified to be a _sparring partner_ to Mr. Mantaro."

Meat squint from the surprise, then answered, hesitantly, "Here ... I'll give you a few minutes. If you can keep up, then you can be his sparring partner. Otherwise, I will continue to train him with my own methods."

Cristiana stretched out an arm on the edge of the back of the sofa: "Ah, do you mean those obsolete methods that were only effective in the Eighties of the last century? I don't want to sound bad, but now we're in the 21st century, the techniques that worked when our parents were young have now lost polish. – looked at Meat – I have already devised a series of programs that my brother can use to become stronger, as well as devising the ideal diet so that he can reach his perfect shape weight. Following my exercises and my diet, he will reach the perfect shape weight in no time. Not forgetting that you're not making the most of the physical peculiarities that only Kinniku possess."

At this point Mantaro felt compelled to intervene, most to avert the worst: "Er ... big sister, don't say that. The problem, until now, was not Meat, but my behavior. I had no idea how to fight or train, I preferred to go and have fun every day. Of course, you can argue that it was because of the psychic shock I suffered, but that doesn't mean that you can point to Meat all the blame."

Meat was stunned by Mantaro's radical change; was that the real Mantaro? He really looked like the prince of Kinniku and the heir to the throne, both from how he spoke and how he behaved. He was no longer lazy and was willing in training, so much so that he had also asked him to teach him some new defensive technique and to adjust his guard ... if that was the real Mantaro, he could not avoid feeling a deep pang to his heart, because it meant that the pain he had felt had been so intense and atrocious that he brought him to be another person.

She reclined her head on the back of the sofa:"Mh... All right. I admit you're right. – she went back to watch Meat – Nevertheless, your training methods need an _upgrade._. " She stood up, "Follow me to the gym."

Both Kinnikus and French followed her without batting an eyelash. Cristiana had built the gym for her brother on the third floor of the skyscraper, where she could reach it at any time, since the laboratory occupied three floors: the last, the penultimate and the fourth – this had been done because the gym also served, in a sense, as a laboratory. When they arrived on their plane – without going through the laboratory – Mantaro immediately went to change, and so did Jacques. Meat waited next to the ring and Cristiana watched the ring from three metres out.

As soon as Mantaro jumped into the ring with Jacques, they began to fight. Although Mantaro was a Chojin, Jacques had managed three times to unbalance him, using counter-terrorism techniques. Not only that, he had also managed to block it a couple of times and flip it over. When Mantaro was stuck in a submission, Cristiana gave the order to stop.

"Ah ... You're right. My techniques are obsolete. Jacques was giving it to him. – turned to Mantaro – If we were to find such an opponent, Mantaro, you would be in serious trouble! He read you like an open book!"

"There are still two days before the next meeting, Meat, for that day you will see a new Mantaro in action. " began his sister, while his brother stood up and stretched "The problem is not Mantaro's predictability, the problem is that this style of struggle does not conform to his physique. – approached the ring – My brother is more flexible than the rest of the other Chojin, you've also seen the fight against Fork the Giant, and he has a great sense of rhythm. In addition, his agility and the power of his muscles guarantee him a resistance to the grips that not all Chojin can boast of having. – leaned against the ropes of the ring – In simple terms ... little brother, we have to find a way to make your fighting style as if it were a harmonious dance. I know you remember where the pressure points are in the Chojin, so we have to take advantage of all your qualities. You will get the most result with minimal effort. Are you there?" she smiled with content.

Mantaro looked at his sister, raised his right arm, raised his thumb, and answered, "Well... I do, big sister, but this decision is more up to Meat than to me."

"This is true too. Meat?” she asked, changing his name. It meant she took him into consideration.

Meat nodded, that girl knew what she was doing and had analyzed Mantaro perfectly and what it took to be his father's successor, so he could only answer: "I agree with you. Do what you have to do, I will support you in everything."

Cris smiled, her eyes twinkled like those of a tiger: "Perfect." They didn't know she had that same look when she was about to make a groundbreaking discovery for the scientific world.

After the afternoon spent training following Cris's tricks and schemes, Mantaro was preparing for dinner with the Legends. His sister had told him that their parents and Robin Mask's wife would come too, because she wanted all the people she loved at that dinner to be there, because she would tell very, very important things. She had also told him that they would dine on the eighth floor – the skyscraper had fourteen floors – from which you could see all of Tokyo very well.

He didn't hide being restless. There was a strange feeling about him, as if something could happen, soon, that would change his life forever. But what could it have been? Her sister had returned, that had already been the biggest change of her life! What else?

He wore tight black long cotton pants, a white long-sleeved shirt and black leather loafers. One of the suits his sister had bought him, and he had to admit that he loved it. He cooled off and sprayed perfume on himself. Now that he had returned to himself, he wanted to make a good impression.

When he descended into the floor where he would dine, he found Jacques setting the large round table with great mastery. He had a veiled smile on his face, most likely he had waited for that dinner too with great emotion. He had to be happy for Cris.

Jacques, as soon as he heard Mantaro approaching, turned and asked, "Oh, Mr. Mantaro, is he ready? I note with pleasure that you wear the necklace that your sister gave to you ... it has to mean a lot to you, right?"

Mantaro smiled awkwardly: "Yes, Jacques. This stylized eagle is beautiful, it reminds me when we were kids trying to find eagles ... I'm glad she hasn't forgotten."

"The young lady will never forget anything about you, sir."

Mantaro blushed, then asked, "Can I help you?"

Jacques shook his head: "There is no need. I'm done. " A signal came to him on his watch "Please follow me, the guests have arrived." Mantaro followed him without saying a word, going to welcome guests. "Good evening, gentlemen. The young lady asked me to sit you in the room where dinner will be consumed. Please follow me."

The Legends felt a little out of place from that treatment, but Mantaro nodded to them, and they followed him without blinking. As they made their way into the hall, Mantaro greeted his parents again, glad to see them again in such a short time. When they arrived, Jacques made them sit in their seats – near Cristiana's place were there two other empty seats, surprise guests? – and served them the fine red wine that had been chosen for the occasion.

"The young lady will arrive with her guests soon. In the meantime, do you like something to eat?"

Mantaro sensed what everyone was thinking, so he replied, "Don't worry, Jacques, we'll wait for Cris and her guests." Jacques nodded his head and went to lay the bottle of red wine. The prince went on, saying, "So that ... what do you tell me? Do you expect something new?"

"We will discuss this once again with the fact that you live here, Mantaro. But to answer that, we can't wait to know what your sister has done over the years, that's all," said Robin Mask, his hands crossed on the table.

Mantaro did to answer, but his sister came in a long, fiery red dress, with a dizzying split on her left leg. Fifteen heel, jewel. Wavy hair and nude makeup with fiery red lips, like the dress. On the left ring finger a ring with a stratospheric diamond. Next to her, Kevin Mask – not dressed like a thug, for once – and that child who was the cousin of a colleague of her. Was she supposed to babysit him? Not bad, Mantaro would have enjoyed playing with him.

They sat in silence, Kevin next to Cris. She looked at them happily and said, "I am glad to see you all again! I think this dinner will serve to explain a few things ... especially about the joke we made to you. " They looked at them, they didn't understand what she meant, “I ... The joke was that I was pregnant. I can't have kids anymore. – she was not looking them in the eye, but at the bottom; then Kevin took her hand – Kevin and I are really married and this is really our son, David." Cris looked only one person in the eye after she had finished speaking: his brother.

In Mantaro the heart stopped. He was left with his breath. Her sister was married to Kevin Mask and had a son. And he hadn't been there. He didn't testify to her. He had not assisted her during childbirth. He had not held his newborn nephew. Mantaro laid his hands on the table, moved his chair, and heard tears coming down his cheeks. He snapped to his feet, throwing the chair to the ground, then saying with his nostrils dilated and the sternum rising and lowering hysterically: “Fuck you, I hate you. " but as he looked at all three, they did not understand against whom those insults were directed. Then he ran away.

"Little brother, wait!" Cris chased his brother. She knew that could happen. But it was all calculated.

David's eyes lit up, "I want to chase uncle too!" and he ran away, chasing his mother.

Kevin stretched out his arm, finally saying, "No, David, wait! Ah, nothing to do. – He turned to Jacques who was waiting in his place – Jacques, please, can you think about it here? I must-”

Jacques nodded: "Don't worry, sir, the young lady had already calculated this scenario. Go to your wife and son."

"Thank you." Kevin snapped, looked at the other guests but said nothing, then ran up, reaching his son. They heard him clearly say, _"David, sweetheart, don't rush like this again, okay?_ _You should've greeted grandparents first._ ” and his tone of voice were so different from the usual one that they immediately sensed how much he loved his son and how much, in fact, he had been desired him.

Mantaro ran with all the fuss and speed he had in his body, arriving in his room and curling up with his knees bent to his chest behind his bed, looking out at the Tokyo scenery. His sobs became more insistent and noisy, his eyes were almost always closed.

He was letting all the tears that had been held inside all that time flow. Before her sister left, tears of repentance because he had decided to stay with his parents instead of following his dream; then for the Muscle League, forced to fight against his will because of the hatred that was always hovering among the Chojin – those were tears of helplessness and captivity; then again for the return of her sister, tears of happiness and disbelief; then for that shocking news that saw his sister married to Kevin Mask and mother of his nephew and ... And... Mantaro didn't know what he was crying about anymore.

The sweetest part of him was happy to be an uncle, to have a nephew of his own that he could cuddle and spoil; the most selfish part of him was furious at his sister for getting married and becoming a mother without his presence, without him knowing everything, without him witnessing her. One of his most hidden desires had always been to be his sister's wedding witness and then to be his nephew's godfather, yet ... and yet none of this had happened. He really felt a deep hatred but ... but it wasn't to his sister, no. Not even to Kevin who took her away from him forever. And it certainly wasn't directed at his nephew. No, Mantaro's deep hatred was against himself, because he had not followed his sister when he had the opportunity, and so he had missed the best moments of her life.

Brooding over those things, he didn't even notice that his nephew was near him. He was able to get in because Mantaro hadn't locked the door, he'd left it wide open. David touched his uncle on his right shoulder, asking him in a naive voice, "Uncle, but do you hate me?"

Mantaro looked at his nephew, and being called "uncle" melted his heart. He hugged him tightly and said, "I could never hate you, my little one..." He heard David snuggle up on his chest, resting his head on Mantaro's heart, who said, stroking him: "Forgive me if I said those bad things, I don't think about them and above all they were not related to you..."

As Mantaro cuddled his grandson for the first time, Cris and Kevin stopped at the door. They held hands, she had her head resting on her husband's arm. Kevin grabbed his wife and squeezed her, lifting her mask and giving her a kiss in the forehead. They stood and watched that scene in silence.

Meanwhile, the situation on the plan on which they were supposed to dine was not the best. If the Legends were shocked, the two pairs of grandparents were angry. Or rather, only Belinda was angry, because her husband didn't say a word, as did Alisa and Robin. The queen snuffed a lock of hair on her face, before snorting and irritatingly asking her husband, "Well?! Don't you have anything to say?! Our daughter is married and has a son and we knew nothing! Aren't you furious too?! "He turned to her _fellow-cons –_ And you two?! I can understand that after what Kevin did—"

Suguru stopped her: "Enough is enough, Belinda. Stop it."

She squinted, angry, "Stop it?! I mean, are you out?! Don’t-"

Alisa decided to speak, looking at no one but the floor: "Suguru and I knew it."

Belinda froze her blood in her veins. She felt betrayed. Tears came down from her eyes as she asked her husband, "Why? Why did you do that? What... how could you know? Not... no, you can't have done that to me, you love me... you love me, don't you, Suguru?"

Suguru looked at her, nodded and took her hand. "Yes." the king also looked at his friends who now looked at him with contempt . . . “It is right that all of you know the truth. – He looked at them and then pulled from his jacket the fateful letter that his daughter had written to him almost three years ago – You see, when Cristiana left she made me promise that I would not tell anyone that she would write me letters every two weeks and ... I kept my promise. But... but there's a reason that both Alisa and I were aware of their marriage and David's existence."

"Suguru, you don't have to tell them now, you know how much—” the English tried, but he stopped her:

"No, Alisa, it is right that they know. – opened the letter – In this letter Cristiana had written to me that _she had attempted suicide_ because she no longer believed that she had a purpose in life, having achieved all her purposes, and then because she did not feel loved and ... and I rather than forbid her to marry so young, after what she had written to me, I preferred to take part in her joy. – he was crying much more now; then looked up – I could not risk losing her a second time, you understand ... I'm sorry for everything I haven't told you but."

His wife blocked him with a slight kiss on his lips: "No; you behaved like a great father would, now don't feel guilty anymore. It will be Cristiana, along with Kevin, who will tell us everything else. Thank you for thinking about her all this time."

Terryman smiled, his best friend by the time had not changed, indeed; but his other friend, Robin, didn't talk, shut up. Knowing him, and knowing how bloody he could be, he hurried to speak, to ward off a scene on the return of the two young newlyweds: "Hm ... Robin, you've been very quiet lately and... Are you really that angry?"

Robin Mask burst out laughing. Then he said, "Angry? I mean, are you kidding me?! It's the best day of my life! I just found out I had a beautiful grandson and I also won the bet, since Cris married Kevin! I've been hoping so much for those two to get married in the future, and now I find out they're already married! Ah, I can finally tell her to call me "dad"!"

That statement stunned everyone. They never expected such a reaction from Robin Mask. But Alisa had hoped for it, and finally, her husband's eyes were full of life again.


	8. Cold and detached

"The young lady would like to know if you still want to eat dinner, or would rather wait in the living room," Jacques began, approaching the table after the adults had finished learning some of the truth from Alisa and Suguru.

Suguru turned and asked, "Does that mean they're coming back, Jacques?"

The French nodded, with his arms behind his back: _"Oui, votre Majesté._ Apparently Mr. Mantaro has calmed down. From what I could understand from the young lady's voice, everything went well."

Suguru smiled, feeling his heart expand to no end; he was happy that his son had accepted the reality that, petty, had thrown himself into his life without asking permission. He said, "Well. I think I speak for everyone when I say we still want to have dinner. I know my son and I know my daughter even more, she has never given up a meal, since I remember!" he concluded with a laugh.

"All right, sir, I'll prepare dinner now. It will still be about twenty minutes before you are all served."

"It's not a problem" the Legends replied almost in chorus, before seeing the very efficient butler take a small bow and go to the kitchen. At that moment the four youngest returned, reeding themselves in their seats. They couldn't help but notice that David not only sat down properly, but also put the napkin on his legs, following the etiquette.

Cris, since she could feel everyone's eyes on her, began to speak: "Here ... I know you didn't expect what I told you but ... I thought this dinner was the best way to assert this social convention and ... I know we have to explain a lot more to you-”

Robin said: "Don't worry, Cristiana, Suguru and Alisa have already explained everything to us. We know that they were present at your wedding and even after David's birth. Now let's have dinner, you're going to explain everything to us later. – then he turned to Mantaro: "Is everything all right, now, Mantaro?"

Cristiana was not astonished by that answer, but her husband and brother did. The prince replied, "Er ... Yes, of course, thank you."

"Well," Robin concluded, while Jacques served the chianines that Cristiana had chosen for dinner. They began to eat, noting once again how David knew how to cut his own meat. Was that child a little genius or what?!

Mantaro noticed how his nephew held the cutlery, looked at his sister and Kevin, and then began by saying, "Sure, little sister, that David certainly didn't learn from you how to hold the cutlery, since you still hold them as if you were skinned a buffalo, while Davidino wielded them in the right way."

Cris looked at him, then answered, "What do you say! Look what I'm working on! " She cut a piece of meat,"See, see? I've got them on the right hold!"

"Yes, only if you think so though!"

Cris sighed: "Brother, I understand that this "punch me" is your way of expressing the resentment that the news of before has caused you, but can we avoid at least dinner? If I'm not mistaken, when people gather around a table to eat it's to discuss important events or celebrate something, so you could avoid channeling your resentment in the way I take cutlery?"

Kevin sighed a little, "Dear?"

"Yes?"

"What did you promise me?"

Cris died for a moment: "Ah, yes. I'm going to try to talk like you. – she looked at his son staring at Mantaro – Davidino, my little one, how come you look at Uncle Mantaro? Do you want to sit next to him?"

David's eyes lit up and magnified, dreamily asking, "Can I, Mama?"

"Of course!" the parents replied, before the son got out of his chair and sat on his uncle's lap. The smile that David made melt everyone in that room, especially Mantaro.

"Mantaro, let's swap places, so to stay close to David, all right?" said the king resolutely, before getting up and exchanging places with his son. Jacques exchanged their plates.

After Mantaro settled down next to his mother and nephew; then he resumed the speech: "Kevin, I have a question: exactly, when should my sister speak in a "normal" way?"

Kevin recovered for a moment, thinking that his brother-in-law wanted to ask him some uncomfortable questions, especially after his reaction and being aware that he would not want him as his sister's husband, he mentally thanked heaven and then answered: "Well ... I asked her to speak in a "normal" way when she's not in the lab... I pointed out to her that people might find her way to talk a little bit... Uh... Strange. Why?" He did not usually feel inawe, especially with Mantaro, but the fact that he had not yet told him whether or not he approved of it made him stand on his thorns.

Mantaro smiled widely: "Because you must know that, all pleased with her return, I introduced her to my friends..."

"Little brother, what do you want to imply? It seemed to me that the meeting with your friends went very well, they even smiled and shook my hand! People usually do that, don't they?" his sister intruded, looking at him cryptic. She knew she sucked in human relationships, but she'd spent her life studying the behaviors of humans and animals, something she'd learned, didn't she?

Mantaro snorted, pulled out his smartphone and replied, "Well, sure, if you take them off, you've practically analyzed them from head to toe! The only one who saved himself was Terry just because you told him that his father's genetic heritage was expressed in him! Do you want to know what they wrote to me?"

Cris looked away and said, "Jacques, please bring the sweets... please ...!"

"Well, I have to admit, this dinner is turning out to be more fun than expected..." Kevin commented, then looked at his son and cleaned his mouth, as it was dirty with the seasoning sauce "Are you still hungry, _sweetheart?_ Do you want the cream?"

David smiled and then laughed, as Kevin tickled him, "Yes Dad, but not so much."

"All right big sister, I'll take it for a "yes." Mantaro joined the group with his friends and began to read the messages: "So, let's see ... Terry and Seiuchin were not very shocked, indeed, they were sympathetic ... I would say that you were nice to them ... but Gazelleman wrote me textual words: " _I_ _didn't know your sister was a robot._ " To which I replied that at most you could be a cyborg, and then he wrote: " _And be it, a cyborg ... it's even more disturbing so. You're not going to take her around all the time, are you? Otherwise I guess you won't see me for a while, I wouldn't want to be analyzed yet as a lab rat ..._ " he looked at his sister, "What do you tell me now? How did it feel?"

Cristiana got sore. The smile on her face disappeared and looked away. She bit her lip and whispered, "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to embarrass you in front of your friends." she got up and went into the living room. She would have expected them there after dinner.

David took his father by the hand: "Dad, can I go and keep my Mom company? I don't like to see her sad..."

Kevin grabbed his son in his arms and kissed him in the forehead: "Now we reach her, my little one, don't worry.” He stood holding his son in his arms, "Please apologize," and they reached Cristiana.

Mantaro was intrigued: "I did not want to hurt her ... I was hoping to snatch a smile from her. She always laughed when I told her she looked like a cyborg when we were kids... I think too many things have changed in the last seven years, haven't they?" he looked away, putting his smartphone back in his pocket.

"Things that don't change are the things you don't need, Mantaro. You should know better than we do, since you lived in contact with her. Wasn't she fascinated by the theory of evolution?" asked Ramenman.

Mantaro answered with clenched teeth, "She doesn't believe that anymore."

Kevin joined his wife with his son in his arms. She was sitting on the leather sofa that was worth millions, her knees against each other, her elbows bent over her head, resting on her thighs. He heard his wife sigh. Kevin knew how much she had worked to blunt the corners of her character and seem as little as possible an emotionless being, but apparently the curiosity that drove her to investigate the cosmos and all its creatures was stronger.

Every time he looked at her, came to his mind the first time they met. He was three and a half years old, she was two and a half. He had not seen many children, mainly because his father always kept him at home to train. She held the hand of Suguru Kinniku, who had just adopted her. She looked at him curiously, did not seem frightened. Maybe from that day she had started studying him, who knows. The fact is that it was probably the day when the spark of love broke out. They met whenever Suguru believed it was good for Cristiana, for interacting with other people, as well as with Mantaro. His brother-in-law could not remember him, but he had seen him as soon as he was born. And then he played with Cristiana. Then the years had passed, he had run away from home and she had left for his research ... she had helped him many times, over the years, before they finally got married. He had loved her all that time... she had always been so mysterious ... perhaps it was for that he had fallen so madly in love with.

And recalling these feelings, Kevin sat next to his wife, holding his son still in his arms, and looked at her. She was too beautiful not to be looked at. David waited for his father to speak, because he knew he was the only one who could better understand his mother. Kevin, with his arm free, belted out his wife's arms. She rested her head on his chest. "Dear, do you want to talk to me? What is it that afflicts you?"

Before answering, Cris took David in her arms and patted him on the back. She looked at his son and smiled. Then she said, "I am sorry that my behavior was cold and detached in the eyes of Mantaro's friends. I just wanted them to accept me for who I am. I knew Mantaro hadn't told them about my existence, but I didn't expect one of his friends to feel like a lab rat. "She looked her husband in the eye " I will try to apologize to them and ... and behave like them. Usually subjects are more likely to accept who behaves like them ... is reflexive behavior. They do it unconsciously. As unconsciously the antelopes escape from the lionesses, so unconsciously man is drawn from the like, not from the other.”

David hugged his mother. That scene made both parents soften. She asked, "Mom, you're not mad at Uncle Mantaro, are you?" he looked into her eyes, "I don't like to see you sad, Mom..." gave her a kiss, "Now you're happy again, aren't you?" David was convinced that kissing the people he loved made them smile again. That's because that's what Mom told him.

Cristiana and Kevin smiled, embraced as a family, and stayed there. They loved hugging and cuddling their son, especially after what they had been through. David for them was the greatest victory, the only satisfaction they had not earned, but had received.

"Big sister …" Mantaro approached the Mask family. Jacques would accompany the guests shortly. He had asked him to give him a few minutes' advantage to speak alone with his sister. "I'd like to talk to you in ... about what happened just now. I shouldn't have read you those messages, in front of all the people you love, especially ... I'm sorry."

Cris looked at her brother. She held her son tightly to her breasts and answered, smiling, "Don't worry, little brother, I'm not angry. You don't have to apologize. I'm going to try to do a little differently with your friends. After your next fight, I'm going to try to apologize to your friends, all right?"

"Not ... you don't have to apologize, big sister. Though... I'd be really happy if you wanted to try again. I'll talk to them, first I'd like to fix some things ... thank you for understanding."

The others finally arrived. Jacques had everyone accommodated, there were many sofas, and he still served alcohol. The two grandparents' families were sitting in front of the younger family and were waiting for any of them to speak. David watched his grandparents. Grandma Alisa and grandfather Suguru had seen them many times, talked to us and played there; while grandma Belinda and grandfather Robin ... he had only heard of them, and also a great good, but he had never seen them.

He got off his mother's legs, approached his grandparents and said, "Hi grandparents, I'm David, sorry if I didn't show up earlier..."

Robin snapped and took his only grandson in his arms. "Hi David, I'm happy to finally meet you... your grandmother Belinda is happy too, you know?" and Belinda tickled David with her long tapered fingers. David laughed. Robin looked at his son and daughter-in-law and asked them, "So, don't you tell us anything about what you've done over the years?"

Cristiana smiled. She said, "I can't wait to tell you everything. I think many things will amaze you but ... it's all in the past now. I prefer the present now."


	9. Noli me tangere

Cristiana looked her guests in the eye, smiling, holding her right arm resting on the armrest of the sofa, while her left hand was intertwined with her husband's right, highlighting the ten-carat oval mega diamond, with two other three-carat diamonds on the sides, with which Kevin had asked her to marry him. Every time she looked at that ring, she could think of the whirlwind of emotions she had experienced when she said, "Yes!" Then she asked, "Since ... where do you want it to start? Do I follow a chronological order of events or do you prefer to ask me questions in particular?" she knew that they would start in the fourth with questions about her history with Kevin, but she didn't care.

Kevin shook her hand slightly, letting her know it was a bad idea. She, in response, tickled him with her thumb inside his palm, suggesting that she had everything under control. At that request, Mantaro's eyes lit up and he answered, "Yes! So, big sister, you always said – he got up and went to sit between his sister and Kevin, not minding the protests of the latter – that the man of your dreams must have certain characteristics. So why did you marry Kevin?"

Everyone in the audience let out a smile, except for Kevin, who crossed his arms and hissed something. Cris replied, smiling, "You're right, little brother. Actually, I always said that my husband should never have earrings, piercings, tattoos, beard, long hair ... didn't have to have a scruffy look or drag yourself behind misunderstanding issues, and then ... then I married Kevin. – laughed – As you have noticed I have been very consistent in the choice ..."

Kevin moved Mantaro, looking at his wife and saying, "But now you can't do without me!"

Cris piled on his legs: "Well, so ... Let's say I'm used to your long hair and beard now, but if you could take off your earrings, piercings and tattoos you'd be even more attractive. " She saw her husband's gaze, while her brother gleefully sneered, "But you know I love you, don't you? Of course, as much as one might call "love" a neurochemical reaction of the brain ..." the last sentence petrified those present, less that Mantaro laughed even more. Cris understood that they had not understood, so she hurried to say, "I was joking..."

"Ah ...". It was unique, as Kevin laid his hand on the mask and waved his head in dissent.

Mantaro resumed his speech: "I would also have another question – one of those that press me the most, at least. How long have you been dating? I mean, he didn't ask you to get married like that without ever going out once and you said "yes" anyway... would be highly irrational..." and laughed again.

Cris opened her mouth, but she did not speak. She closed it and opened it again, waving her right index finger in front of her brother's face: "My husband answers this question!"

Kevin felt everyone's eyes on him, and he felt panic running through his veins for the first time: "Here, you see ... Us... No, then ... actually it's ... ah, and that's fine!, I asked her to marry me out of the blue, without ever seeing me, okay?! – but Mantaro was immediately on him, with two gloomy eyes and a guttural growl coming out of his throat – Dear not ... you didn't tell me that your brother was able to get angry and ... and to be so creepy, if angry..."

Mantaro closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then broke away from his brother-in-law: "Even if I don't approve of this affair, you – strangely – make her happy, so that's fine. Now tell me, when was my nephew born? I have to get all the presents I didn't give him!" returned the usual, cheerful, Mantaro, much to Kevin's delight.

David, meanwhile, had fallen asleep on Robin's chest, who wasn't listening to much of the conversation, because he was kidnapped by his grandson. He looked like a little angel. Cris noticed, then stood up and took David in her arms, saying to Robin, "Excuse me," then she came back and answered, stroking her son's blond-haired head: "We got married on February 14, and our little boy was born on September 18."

Robin squinned, "On September 18th? I was born on September 18th ... Is... I believe that now no birthday present will ever be better than this news..." but while Robin was overwhelmed with emotions, the others present – who ignored the story of David's birth – did not escape a detail that Mantaro was ready to point out:

"But, big sister ... Were you pregnant when you got married? Why oth---"

Kevin interrupted a little annoyed, suggesting that he had not touched her before the wedding: "David was born prematurely, okay?! Cris became pregnant just over a month later, David was due to be born in December, but due to a series of complications he was born premature! Do you have any more questions or can we move on?" but Kevin was so out of his mind that he took his son to bed.

Cris then explained, "You must know that Kevin was still part of the d.M.p. when we got married and we had David ... he had to endure a lot of evil, because they said that he married me only for money and, putting me pregnant, he had settled down forever ... but not just that. – she turned her gaze to the floor – Kevin feels guilty because because of his being Chojin our son is a Chojin, only that ... not being it, my body completed the pregnancy first but ... they had to give me a total hysterioctomy, better known as scraping ... Kevin believes it's his fault that they had to remove my reproductive apparatus, so I was forbidden to have more children..." she turned her head to the side again "In the early days, however, David had breathing problems and Kevin also blamed himself, because he said that if he weren't a Chojin our son wouldn't have had all these problems ... me and the others tried several times to explain to him that it was normal for David to have breathing problems, having been born at six months ... but he didn't want to hear any reason. You want to know what I've been doing over the years, right?"

Her mother smiled, forcefully: "Right." then looked her in the eye: her daughter was happy. That light in her eyes was only when she was with Mantaro or in the lab with him. But that happiness was so pure that Belinda almost did not see herself again, young bride, giving the first kiss to her husband. She understood that now that pain no longer tangled her. She continued, "So, honey, do you want to tell us what happened the first year? Surely it was the most exciting one, wasn't it?"

Cris looked at his brother, then replied, "I must say I have never found an exciting year. I started to travel because I was driven by curiosity to know and the desire to find cures for terrible diseases. I must admit there were years more satisfying than others, that yes, but most likely it was only because of the hormones I had circulating during puberty. Ah, by the way: two months after I left I had my first menstrual cycle. I think in a mother-daughter relationship it's important to approach this event together, but not having this kind of rel---” Mantaro blocked her with one hand.

"You're still rationalizing, big sister. Please, you know what you were going to say isn't true, but it's your way of trying to think about what to say to Kevin later. Please tell only what you experienced." while the Legends were astonished by the prince's behavior, king and queen were not, because they knew that the two brothers behaved like this.

Cris smiled at his brother, patting him on the cheek: "Right. Excuse me. I started working on cancer and HIV treatment in the first year," she said to Belinda. “In addition, in addition to discovering new animal species and taking other degrees and masters, I founded my own company and began to educate my two most trusted collaborators. They're real geniuses. Brilliant doctors, half of my research I could leave to them and I'd be sure they would reach the goal. But not just that. I also started working in physics, especially in quantum mechanics. Let's say that I did things in the first year, which I then protracted all this time ..." smiled, causing the goths to be imposed.

This time it was Terryman who asked her: "And ... Uh... Can you manage well being a mother with all the commitments you have, Chicca?"

She nodded, "Yes, of course. Well, I can't complain, Kevin really is a golden husband. Think that for the first six months, the only thing that allowed me to do was breastfeed our son, because he didn't want me to get tired more than I should after what happened to me. Usually I prefer to stay as long as possible in the lab, so Kevin is always with David, almost always they train together. I usually go down to lunch and dinner but, when I don't have important research or financial commitments, I spend as much time as I can with them. Oh, and I never work on Sundays. Then we travel often, a little because of my work, but mostly because we like to spend time with our son. For his birthday we always go to the place he likes, this year he chose South Africa. However, because of the Tournament, we will leave after its end."

Mantaro smiled at his sister, saying, "I understand. But... Uh... Are you sure it's not a problem that I live here with you? I mean, both Kevin and I are in the Tournament and ... Well ... if we were to train in the same gym---" but his sister interrupted him.

Cris took him by the hand and said, looking him straight in the eye: "Don't worry, little brother, Kevin doesn't live here. We agreed that he would live somewhere else from the beginning of his training for the Tournament to the end. Sometimes he comes back here, and every time David goes to sleep, we make a video call so he can say good night. Besides, he knew you were going to live here. In fact, if I'm honest, he's the one who pushed me to bring you here."

This time the astonished one was Robin: "Really? I never thought Kevin would be so helpful..." and Alisa gave him a slight elbow.

"Kevin looks like a lone wolf, but he's actually very sensitive. And most of all, he knows me very well. He knows how important Mantaro is to me. If I am to be honest, Kevin was especially afraid of his reaction, Mr. Mask, because he knew that you never approved of his life choices, so he feared that finding out that he was married to me and was a father at such a young age could drive you crazy... on the other, I retorted that in some tribes in Central Africa, you would be old enough to be great-grandfather but, apparently, my husband did not care ..." at last she drank the non-alcoholic that her butler had brought her.

Mantaro laughed, shaking his head. Robin replied, "I ... Uh... If I'm honest, I'm very happy that you're part of my family, honey. In fact, I always hoped you two would get together. And then, you gave me a beautiful grandchild, I certainly could not be angry with you for that ..."

"I know," she replied, smiling. Her brother looked at her: "Er ... I didn't spy on him, if that's what you're thinking..."

Mantaro snorted and crossed his arms to his chest: "What I am thinking is that you managed to get a copy of their brainwaves the moment they entered here... or am I wrong?"

Cristiana stood up: "I'm sorry, it's stronger than me. I need to know. And now excuse me, but my husband is waiting for me to put our son to bed." and as she left, the older ones were astonished, while Mantaro had put his hands on his face and shook his head in dissent. His sister was just worse.

Kevin had to wake up his son to get him to wear his pajamas. He didn't like waking up his son, especially if he was sleeping so quietly that he looked like an angel on the ground, but he had to do it because he didn't want to hurt him while he changed him. And then, he had to tell him something that would surely make him happy, and every time he saw his baby's smile, his heart overflowed with joy. David was playing with his hair.

_“Daddy, I like granddad Robin and grandma Belinda! Can I see them more often?”_ David used to speak in English with his father, because with his mother he spoke in Italian, with Jacques in French and with his uncle Mantaro he would speak in Kinniku. To be honest, mum's co-workers spoke in their mother tongues, which is why he already knew six languages at the age of two. It was also true that he had an IQ of 235 points, so he was also a phenomenon.

Kevin smiled at him, he wasn't wearing his _mask: "Of course, my little angel._ ” And gave him a kiss in the forehead. David smiled and chuckled, rubbing his head on his paternal chest. At that moment, Cris entered the room.

"Excuse me if I'm late. Did you have fun, darling?" she asked, sitting next to her husband and stroking her son's head.

"Yes, Mama! Uncle Mantaro is great! Can I ask him to play with me tomorrow? I want to show him my puppets and my drawings! Will he like it?"

"Of course he’ll do, baby," both parents replied, cuddling him. They didn't think they could love a person more than their life partner, but since they had David they had believed themselves again.

Kevin let Cris take David in her arms, then she said, "David, honey, since tonight is a special day, you sleep with us today, will you? So, stay with Dad a little bit..."

“... you can tell me everything you think about Uncle Mantaro, what do you say? Did I tell you or not that he was special?" concluded Kevin, clutching his son's hair. David nodded gladly.

Cris squeezed her son even more: "Let's go now, we'll take you to our room and Dad will be with you, while I'll tell grandparents and their friends that they can stay here to sleep, okay? Then I will come to you immediately."

David looked at her with his blue eyes: "All right, Mom. Can I give Uncle Mantaro a good night kiss too?" his parents nodded to that request, then went to their room.

David loved sleeping with his parents. The bed, round, was so big that even his dad, who was a real giant, seemed to have a normal height. The room was huge, full of photos of his family. There were also a lot of books from his mom and dad. And then you could see almost all of Tokyo, from their room. When they entered the room, Kevin immediately went to change, so he could be more comfortable. He sat cross-legged on the bed and let David sneak through his legs, and then asked him, "So, where were we with our book?"

"Robin Hood and Little John were preparing a plan to plunder the richest in the county!" exclaimed the little boy happily. He was sitting in the middle of his father's legs, holding the book open, so that his son could, in some way, read.

"Well. So let's continue, what do you say?" and the son nodded. Cristiana smiled and walked out of the room, contented.

As she made her way to her guests, she met her brother who was looking for her. Mantaro asked her, "Sister, I wanted to talk to Kevin for a moment. Can I or is him busy?"

Cristiana smiled broadly: "Right now he's reading with David "The Adventures of Robin Hood," but if it's that important you can still knock on the door. It won't bother him if you see him without his mask. Besides, David wanted to say good night to you, so I think you can come by and say hello!"

Mantaro smiled at her. "All right," he saw that she was going, but he blocked her by the wrist: "Big sister, I'd like to tell you something."

"Tell me."

Mantaro scratched his neck embarrassedly: "I'm glad Kevin makes you happy. I'm sorry for what I said on his account a few days ago, clearly shy people tend to exclude themselves from the rest of the world ... Considering then what he had to endure, they must have been pressures not to laugh ... And... Uh... I hope that one day we can become friends. I want to be a better person for you and for David."

Cris embraced him, "Thank you, little brother, it means a lot to me. David, by this hour, will have fell asleep." his brother smiled at her and walked to the room that had been indicated to him.

Mantaro walked with phlegm because he did not want to wake his nephew and because he had to think about what to say to his brother-in-law. He reasoned a little bit about it and eventually decided that talking with his heart in his hand was the best choice. Arriving at the front door he did not knock so as not to disturb David's sleep, but he opened it gently, holding one hand over his eyes, so that he could not see Kevin's true face. "Yeah ... Kevin, I wanted to talk to you..." lowered his tone of voice a little.

Kevin smiled. His wife was right, the real Mantaro was a whole other story. He sat on the edge of the bed while his son was asleep, and said, "Take your hand off your eyes, Mantaro. It doesn't bother me that you see me without my mask, I'm different from the other members of my family. And then, now that you know the truth, I'm not afraid to be seen by my brother-in-law without my mask."

Mantaro felt a strange numbness taking his body. He was about to see Kevin Mask's face. Few people in the world could see that face. His parents, his sister and his nephew. And now he could see it too. For a moment it was said that it was not right that he could see that face that his sister had loved, kissed and seen in the purest and truest intimacy, but the request of his brother-in-law, said almost laughing, convinced him to take his hand out of his eyes. He realized that as soon as he saw Kevin's face he squinked. It was really very, very nice. David had taken it from him. He had high cheekbones, a slight unkempt beard and two large sky blue eyes, magnetic. He had angled eyebrows, not very thick, covered with red bangs. With a beard he showed his age, but if he cut it he would have shown a few years less. He understood why her sister, when she spoke of him, had that dreamy look.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked kindly when Mantaro sat down.

Mantaro shifted his gaze to the right, down; then he quickly looked at his sleeping nephew, and then he said, "Although it initially hurt me that you married my sister without me knowing, I'm glad you're with her, because I see how happy she is. She told us about everything you had to go through after your marriage and David's birth, and I want to tell you that I'm really proud to have you as my brother-in-law. And then, the fact that every time she talks about you she has that dreamy look... you can't be a bad person. – he put his hand on his right shoulder, looking him in the eye – Continue to be the perfect father that Cris made us understand that you are ... I just hope you can forgive me for the way I've behaved with you. Here... I'd like to get to know you better and ... would you like to see sometime dating? After the Tournament, of course!"

Kevin felt tears pinching his eyes. He had always hoped that Mantaro could welcome him in that way, and now that hope had become a reality. Kevin placed his left hand on Mantaro's, still clutching his shoulder, and responded with a smile: "I would be really happy. Thank you, Mantaro."

"No, thank you for making me an uncle and making my sister really happy. " and while Mantaro and Kevin were beginning to build a bond, Cristiana had returned to her guests.

She sat back on the leather couch, took a quick look at her father, because he had a light in his eyes that she didn't like, and then she said, "It's getting late, I wish you could sleep here, since I have many rooms. So, you don't have to go back to the hotel tired tonight." and smiled.

"Are you sure we don't disturb?" asked the Legends more than his parents and in-laws.

Cris nodded. "Of course, Jacques has already prepared your rooms. The only problem is that you will be on different planes."

"That's not a problem," they replied, then they saw the butler ask them to follow him, who would show them the rooms. The Mask and Kinniku stayed there with Cris.

"Your rooms are close to mine, so if you need anything, you can call me. Davi tonight sleeps with us, so don't worry, you won't bother us!" and laughed a little. The others laughed, too. And so, they followed her into their rooms. Cristiana then returned to her room, saw that her husband was asleep on his right side, holding his left hand on David's right side, as if to protect him. She changed, wearing her silk suit, and fell asleep after kissing her son and her husband.

The night was always mysterious. At night we loved each other, new lives were created, people died and schemes were designed to trigger new wars, declared or in fact. At night, both the best and the worst things happened. But as long as you were asleep, you were not aware of what was happening in the world around you. That's why it was always a problem to sleep, because it took away the wakefulness, and people weren't as responsive as when you wake up.

That's why, when it passed three o'clock at night, the Queen knocked restlessly at her daughter's bedroom door, but she didn't wake up. Then she started calling her out loud. At that point the brilliant scientist awoke, immediately running to open the door. She already knew what her mother was going to tell her. She saw her in a sea of tears: "Cristiana, darling, please come, your father is sick and-"

Cristiana looked at her, sighed, and answered, "I know. I didn't like his eyes tonight. – She turned to her husband, who had got out of bed – Stay here. Me and the boys will take care of it. Don't say anything to David." and walked out of the room, calling his two most trusted collaborators. They were still working in the lab. Not even to do it on purpose, her in-laws were on their feet. "Wait for me in the living room. I've already sent a message to Jacques to prepare for you something warm. Don't worry”, and as she said that phrase, both Liam and Joseph arrived in a lab uniform and with everything necessary to rescue Suguru.

Cristiana came in with them, then closed the door. Belinda only heard them arguing about what was the best drug to block vomiting, as her husband had started vomiting continuously out of the blue, then Robin took her away clutching her by the shoulders. When they arrived in the living room they also found the others standing – which was strange, since they could not have heard what had happened – and Mantaro in a sea of tears, clutching between his fingers some sheets. Terryman sat next to him and tried to console him, but Mantaro seemed inconsolable.

Alisa stayed with Belinda, who was trembling for fear of losing her husband, while Robin approached Mantaro, trying to figure out why he was in that state. "Mantaro, heavens, but what's going on? What are those papers you hold in your hand?" he attempted to take the papers, and Mantaro soon left them. Robin read them and had to sit down to be able to blame the blow. He was trembling.

Mantaro looked up and noticed his mother, then he got up and hugged her. He sobbed, "Mom, Dad is dying..." that broke the hearts of all present.

Terryman, noting Robin's status, decided to take matters into his own hands: "Now let's all take a deep breath and try to calm down. Mantaro, can you tell us why are you saying these things? Robin, what the hell is on those papers? And above all, Mantaro, where did you get them?"

Mantaro took a deep breath, tried to wipe away his tears, and answered, "Those ... those papers I took in Cris's office. I wanted to see what research was following and ... and I saw that there were papers with Dad's name, so I read them and---"

"Did you come into my office without my permission?" Cristiana was very altered for what her brother had done. He walked into her office without asking?! That's what he was getting into, entering his office without asking! She immediately noticed the papers his father-in-law had in his hand, then almost ran to him and tore them out of his hand: "These documents do not concern you! And anyway, what's written here is a-"

Mantaro interrupted his sister by talking to his mother: "Mom, Dad had cancer! From... Everywhere! And ... and it was terminal and-"

At that point Liam and Joseph intervened, who had been on the sidelines the whole time, showing up after seven years by their respective parents, Specialman and Canadianman. The first to speak was Joseph: "Those documents relate to your father's health status from two years ago. At this time he is under observation, tomorrow morning we will see whether to start the new therapy or carry out other examinations. Right now, he has no new cancers, we are still assessing what may have led his immune system to react in this way."

Liam made it to speak, but Belinda preceded him: "So ... so you're telling me that every time he was sick, he was vomiting, that he couldn't get out of bed and that he was gaspsing and then he started to lose weight... Him... has he been lying to me all this time?" the Queen was really shocked.

Liam replied: "He did it for love. Now, we would please know if you have had contact in recent days, even of an intimate nature. We don't want to imply that you passed something on to him, but we have to be scrupulous, you know? If you want to speak--"

"I need air, sorry. " and Belinda left.

Everyone looked at those three genes, who apparently didn't realize that not only had they been too cold and detached, but also unable to understand how they didn't know how to behave in such situations. Apparently, those things didn't touch them.


	10. Experimental cure

Nobody liked that situation. Not at all. They had just discovered in the middle of the night, in the worst possible way – well, there probably wouldn't have been a better way to find out – that their friend, the best wrestler of his generation if not of all time, Suguru Kinniku, better known as Kinnikuman, did not have that bad fitness because he had let himself go, but because of cancer.

Robin had just read those papers and began to tremble in shock, while Terryman felt an atrocious pang to his heart. And the worst was that Mantaro had discovered the whole thing, that he had not yet stopped crying. He seemed almost isolated from the rest of the audience, despite sitting between Terryman and Robin. But the deep shock he had felt was not easy to manage. And the worst thing was that his sister, Liam, and Joseph were standing as if nothing had happened, watching coldly the rest of those present who didn't speak.

At that point, seeing his son completely impassive – that he had become a human was another pair of sleeves – Specialman blurted out: "Ah, that's enough! Liam, for God's sake, do you want to say something that doesn't sound like a robot?! Don't you think Mantaro, more than us, deserves answers?! And you, Cristiana, don't you say anything?"

"You really let us down, guys," Canadianman continued bitterly, seeing his son as a human too – he really didn't have any more words.

It was Liam who answered, because he knew Joseph didn't care much what his father said, since they had a somewhat complicated relationship – not like Robin and Kevin's, but almost. "Wait until we have let you down, because trust me, if we had let you down, then it would mean that we would have made the rest of the universe proud, and if that meant no more talking to our fathers, well, patience, we have a mission to accomplish." The problem was that Liam was also very rational. “Well, by now you've learned of something you'd know in due course, so I don't think Mr. Kinniku will be happy with this, since he asked us for silence. But I don't think it's fair to tell you how the facts went. Cris?”

Their boss nodded slightly, still wore her silk pajamas but had worn the blue lab coat, then said, "All right. But I'd like his wife to be here, too. She lived by his side, and usually when two living beings of the opposite sex decide to live together forever, they are entitled to know what happens to their chosen partner for the survival of the species. So, I'd like that—"

"You don't have to use this language, honey, I'm here," the queen intruded, arriving at the side of her son-in-law, who was holding his blissfully asleep son. "Thank you for trying to calm me down, Kevin. And I'm sorry if I bothered you," she said.

Kevin shook his head slightly: "No trouble, I know how cold they can get in situations like this," he said, holding his son in his arms, which he had wrapped in his favorite blanket so he could not get cold.

Belinda sat in the armchair that was right in the middle of the two sofas on which the Legends were sitting. She looked her daughter in the eye, though she was not sure she was still her daughter, and continued, "Tell me everything. I should no longer be surprised by anything, since he kept me secret for seven years that he communicated with you and that he was present at your wedding and the birth of our grandson ... however, you always reserve surprises. Come on, talk."

Cristiana approached his brother, crouched in front of him, and, taking his brother's right hand with his right hand, said to him, "Brother, I understand that the emotional shock you are experiencing at this time is difficult to manage, but I would ask you to try to stop crying now. You're going to hear what happened to your father, if you want to cry, you can do it after I'm done telling. Or not, who knows?" and almost smiled. Mantaro looked at her and nodded softly, clasping her hands. Cris then stood up and resumed: "You must know that Mr. Kinniku began to feel ill in the fourth year of my departure. We know this because we sometimes met, over the years, and we handed him a cell phone that made him untraceable, which hooked up to a ghost frequency that was generated only when he called us. – she knew that those present were astonished, but she didn't care – Initially he had only suffered chronic pain in his leg joints and back, but he told us not to worry because they were definitely due to his past wrestling career. However, a year later, the situation deteriorated. He told us that in one year he had started to lose most of his muscle mass and motor skills. He added that most of the time he ate he would vomit and that he had started not to see well. At that point we decided to bring him to us to visit him." she paused to look at the audience. What she would say next would be devastating.

Kevin decided to intervene: "Dear, maybe it's better if you continue the talk later, when it's morning and they're all more rested. Now not—"

"I asked my daughter to tell me everything, Kevin Mask, and I'm not going to sleep until I know the whole truth," Belinda blocked sharply, her eyes on ice. "Continue," she almost inedated that order to his daughter. Cristiana obeyed.

"We visited him with the analyzer, a machine of my own invention that emits a beam of electrons and protons, able to give us a detailed picture of the entire human body. What we saw was troubling. He had several malignant tumors located in the places he had identified as sources of pain. They were located in the knees, tailbone and lumbar vertebrae, stomach, palate and around optical nerves. We immediately did biopsies and found that all tumors, excluding knee cancers, were metastases. It was in the third advanced stage. He had two months to live. As soon as we told him, he smiled and looked us in the eye. Then he did an irrational thing: he hugged us. Then he asked us what he should do to extend even a little of his life days. We told him we could have surgery to remove the metastases, but the tumors in the knees were so extensive that they would help the growth of new metastases. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy would not have taken effect. He smiled at us again – inexplicably – and then asked me about the drug we were experiencing against cancer. We told him about it, but I categorically refused to give him an experimental treatment. But he told me he would do anything to see his son and grandson grow up, so he ordered me to give him that medication. We were forced to accept, not only because we had to respect the will of the patient, but also because he was capable of understanding and wanting. He immediately signed the release that allowed us to act, so we gave him the drug."

Mantaro rolled his eyes, stood up and looked his sister in the face, asking in a broken voice, "Did you give Dad an _experimental cure_?! Did you really do that?”

Joseph interjected: "We were against it, but he forced us to proceed. We couldn't do anything else, we had our hands tied, not least because your father had never visited doctors outside of us, and because he didn't want this whole story to be known, we were forced to accept."

Mantaro wept again: "But why did you do it! Why, why, why!" took Joseph by the collar and lifted him slightly off the ground.

"Because otherwise, at this hour, your mother would be a widow, you would be an orphan of a father, and at fifteen you would be ruling an entire nebula as king. Your father wanted to protect your youth, Mantaro," he replied calmly but sharply. Mantaro let him go.

He went back to address his sister: "And tell me, big sister, how did the drug work? I'm sure it had side effects, since you never put something on the market that elicits side effects..."

"The drug in question was called CHK-12. Its structure was such that it allowed, as soon as it entered the circle, to detect cancers and modify them through interactions between strong and weak electrolytes. It changed the demand for cellular ATP and inhibited the effects of cancer."

Mantaro wiped his nose: "I understand, it acted as a cellular remodeler. That means the cancer didn't go away, but it just turned into something else, right?"

"Correct. All your father's health problems now are the result of that drug. Including his current fitness. The drug, unfortunately, has accelerated what cancer could have done. " She saw that his brother came back to sit with his eyes shining, so she hurried to say, "But now he's fine, Mantaro. Although the drug has had serious side effects, we are ninety-five percent sure that it will no longer get sick. The reaction he had just now – Belinda looked at, addressing her – was given by both the stomach ulcer and the actual drug he still has in his system. If he reacted like this, it would mean that there was a chance of a new cancer rising, but as a result of that reaction, this possibility is now nil."

Liam continued, approaching with folded arms: "Now he is out of danger. Tonight we will keep him under observation and, if there are no more complications, he will be out of danger and in a few hours, when it is morning, we can proceed to give him a new drug that-"

"Enough, please, Dad has already suffered enough..." Mantaro said, with his sternum lowering and rising frantically. Liam, Joseph and Cris knew what it meant, which is why when Mantaro fell to the ground, they were ready to act.

"He's having an attack of hyperventilation, please make room for it. – she started, turning her brother on one side – Little brother, listen to me, now you have to take deep breaths, okay? You only have to focus on my voice: one, two; one, two; One, two... Yes, so ... do you see that you're feeling better now? Come on, keep it up..." looked at Liam and Joseph "Considering the emotional shock he sustained, it's strange that he lasted so long before collapsing. I don't think we need muscle relaxants, but let's see how it goes." then she turned to her brother again: "How do you feel, Mantaro? Do you want some water?"

Mantaro sat cross-legged helped by Liam, then answered, "Y-Yes, thank you..." Jacques immediately handed him a glass of water, and he drank it slowly, looking at his sister. He asked her, "Can I see Dad?"

Liam was feeling his back muscles, while Joseph said, "Considering what you just had, it's better not. You can see him tomorrow – indeed, this morning. It's good that you go back to sleep now."

"All right," the prince replied, then looked at his mother and asked, "Mom, since you can't stay in the room with Dad, do you want to come to me? The bed is big enough for both of us..."

Belinda nodded, then answered, "Of course. Come on, honey, you need to sleep." and after Mantaro stood up, they went to the room. Not before the queen turned to look at everyone present. She was grieving.

Cris approached her husband, who held their baby tightly to his chest, and said to him, stroking his right arm: "Love, I'm sorry, but tonight we can't sleep together. We need to check on Mr. Kinniku... Did David wake up?"

Kevin smiled under the mask: "No, you know he wouldn't even wake up to the cannons, you know he took it from you... and don't worry, we have our whole lives to sleep together..." and gave themselves a slight kiss on the lips. Then Kevin went back upstairs to sleep with David.

Liam and Joseph approached Cris. She turned around, looking at her guests, and then said, "I'm sorry for what success, it wasn't my intention to ruin your sleep. If you want, you can still discuss or have fun, if you want to play pool Jacques will show you the hall. Now excuse us, but we have work to do." and they left to return to the room where they had left Suguru. The Legends looked into each other's eyes, shook their heads, and went back to sleep. After all those events it was better to sleep.

The hours that remained at night before leaving the place per day were not the best. The only two who slept soundly were Kevin and David, one because he knew all the facts, the other because he was unaware of the facts. Mantaro and Belinda fell asleep when the sun was about to rise, because they had spent time discussing what had happened; Terryman spent time doing abs, the other Legends also trained a little, before slump; Robin and Alisa looked into each other's eyes, whispering "amazing" and couldn't think of anything else. Meat had gone to sleep at Terry's for that night, so it would have been really hard to explain everything to him once he got back.

The guests were all seated at the table, a long crystal board; the post at the head of the table was free, since it was Cris's, as were the places near David – they were those of Liam and Joseph. Jacques, when he saw them all ready, asked, "Good morning, gentlemen. What do you like for breakfast? Do I start by making you coffee?"

They were all in a catatonic state, except Kevin and David. The landlord replied, "Yes, Jacques, thank you. Can you also make some black tea?” then looked his son: “If you’re still a little patient, I'm going to stay with you again, is that okay?" stroking his son, who smiled and answered:

"Yes, Dad! – looked at his uncle – Uncle Mantaro, what have you got? Why don't you eat?" he asked, noting that his uncle was not eating the fruit salad or the sweets he had on his plate.

Mantaro recovered, smiled at his nephew and replied, "Not ... it's nothing, star, really." and took to eating his fruit salad.

"Is it because Granddad was sick tonight?" he asked innocently again, cradling the slice of cake he held with both hands. That question stunned those present. David looked at his uncle again, his mouth was a bit dirty with chocolate, but he continued: "Don't worry, uncle, Mum is great and Granddad is very strong, he'll be fine. Also, because I have to show him the drawings I made for him..." went on, all intent on sticking a grape with his fruit fork.

Mantaro blinked twice so as not to let the tears fall, then answered, "You're right, darling ... I'm sure he'll love your drawings, you know?" David smiled at him again, showing his baby teeth and dimples. Kevin at that moment cleaned his mouth.

At that moment, while everyone had regained some hope, Cristiana went down to have breakfast. She was fully clothed. And most importantly, she was no longer wearing a lab coat. It meant with she would no longer be by her father's side. But the really strange thing was that she had been awake for five hours and didn't show the slightest sign of fatigue. "Good morning everyone! How come those long snouts?" now what she was doing, she was also kicking their ass at such a critical time?! "Good morning love. " and kissed Kevin on the lips, lifting his mask. Then she took her son in her arms, kissed him and cuddled him, making him laugh.

"You're kidding I hope." Mantaro almost flashed her with the eyes: “We're all apprehensive about Dad and you ask us why we're so worried?! But is it your brain at once?"

She sat down, almost looked after her brother and thanked Jacques for bringing her breakfast. She began to eat as if nothing had happened. Since it seemed that it didn't touch her in the slightest, Mantaro continued, "What is it, another one of your experiments on people?! Do you want to see how long we can hold you before we assault you?”

"I suppose you want to hear about Mr. Kinniku's health," she continued, eating and checking her stock on the stock exchange. Her company was not listed because she hated that someone could own her company, but she loved to have shares in other companies. Then one day she'd get tired and drop all the trading. Patience.

Her brother stood up, extending his arms: "So?! How's he doing?”

"Well," she replied, eating and then turning to her butler, "Jacques, can you bring me some chocolate? Thank you." but as she saw everyone's eyes, she continued, "The night in observation paid off. His body was able to quickly recover his sustained efforts, but we had to give him a reconstituent drip as a result of too many lost fluids. In the meantime, we gave him other tests, they all tested negative; Right now he's still asleep, when Liam comes down and Joseph will say that- oh, here they are."

The two prodigious doctors came down and approached their boss, stealing chocolate pictures from her. "Good morning," they both said.

Liam continued: "Mh, I've seen that your actions in the bioenergy industry have gone up a lot. Do you have to go to some bank acquisition today or can you stay here in the lab? We have to do those fun experiments on bioluminescence."

"Or we could go shopping, I'm sure after you see what we have in mind for you, Kevin will thank us too," Joseph continued, also stealing strawberries from her. "Hey, did you make them the joke of indifference?"

"Yes," she continued, getting up and following them to the lab.

"And did they go into exascavance?" Liam asked.

"You bet." went on her, smiling.

"Did you even make them think you didn't care that much? Did you eat when they asked you for news?"

"Clearly. The best was Mantaro, also because he's the only one who spoke. I had to explain just because they kept staring at me. A parcel," she said, smiling and laughing.

Liam hugged her hips and exclaimed, "But I love you!" and they disappeared upstairs.

Kevin understood that he had to explain, so he said, "I have to explain a few things to you. When they're in the lab they usually take a drug they call _xume-blocking,_ a drug that can block people's emotions, which is why they looked like robots last night. They do it to be as rational as possible when they work. They usually do this little theater to show that they are no longer under that effect."

Mantaro shook his head: "I don't believe it ... ah, I think I've lost it by now. But if Dad's okay, that means I can go see him before I start my workout! I'm going to go sub-"

His sister's voice from the intercom blocked his expectations: – _I'm sorry, little brother, but you won't be able to come and see your father until the new drug has stopped taking effect. In the meantime, you can also train according to my new patterns. Don't worry._

Mantaro rolled his eyes, sighed, and then said, "Oh, well, I can't complain. Davidino, do you want to train with your uncle? We're going to have fun, you know?"

David blinked his eyes and made an expression as if to say "ooohhh", he turned and asked his father, " _Daddy_ , _pleaaase, can I train with Uncle Mantaro? Pleaaaase!_ ”

Kevin laughed, massaging his son on his back: _"Of course, my little angel!”_ and then his son hugged him tightly. That scene softened everyone and finally relaxed. Kevin looked at Mantaro and said, "Can you please not tire him too much? Cris planned to take him to the amusement park today."

"Of course, don't worry," he nodded, then took his nephew in his arms and said, "Courage, my little one, it's time to train! I have a surprise for you, you know?" and Mantaro melted his heart when his nephew rubbed his face on his chest. He squeezed him tighter and went to the gym.

Kevin got up from the table and said, "I have to go too. " He looked at them, "Well, I know my wife, I'm sure we'll see each other again." He didn't get to talk to his parents alone, but so much was it that it made sense to do that? He was sure they would never speak to him again, especially his father. Too bad he didn't know that hypothesis was less a good idea. The day they would talk, Kevin would feel his heart heal, finally, after a long time.

Alisa decided to break the ice: "Well, I'd say it didn't go so bad, did it? I mean, I know that everything they told us was a little traumatic, but in the end Suguru is better and ... well, we found out that we were grandparents, so so much of earned, right, dear?" she turned to her husband, putting her right hand over his left.

Robin nodded, "Right. Maybe now it's better if get out of her hair, what do you say?"

Jacques interjected: "The young lady this morning asked me to tell you that your presence is always welcome, but she understands whether some of you should return to their duties. As a result, she asked me to accompany you to the airport, if you decide to return to your jobs." he looked at them and added, "First she asked me to give you your presents, which she has collected in these seven years. Please follow me." and almost everyone stood up, excluding the Masks and Belinda.

The Queen finally spoke: "Thank you for being close to me. I'm afraid my husband is even more sick too... even though Cristiana said that he is now fine, to know that I had him next sick all this time and I did not know ..."

Robin told her, "Suguru has always been the kindest of all the Seigi Chojin. I don't know why, but I expected him to do such an extreme thing. You really married a golden man, Belinda, you should be proud."

The Queen smiled little: "I am. And every time I think back to everything he's done for me and others, I fall in love with him more and more. Only that ... sometimes I wish he had a little more time for me, he's always so busy and ... and now knowing that I risked losing him forever makes me even more agitated."

Alisa put her hand on her shoulder: "I know how difficult it can be not to have the person you love, Dada, by your side... But you know at least where to find it, I instead ... ah, let's forget, it made me suffer too much this ugly idiot to remember it! – laughed – But now let's think of something else ... I can't wait to play with David! I haven't done that in a long time!"

Robin and Belinda filmed it at the same time: "You've been able to do it several times, we haven't, so it's up to us now!" and they laughed.

"Ah, all right ... Anyway, know that who got David the most was Suguru, so you can take it out on him later, eh!" the blonde replied, laughing.

All three burst out laughing, feeling light as the air. At last they had left behind all the pains and sufferings they had endured both in their youth and because of their children. Now they hoped that everything would be fine. Besides, they deserved it, didn't they?


	11. Contract with the devil

Mantaro was training with Jacques, Meat and David. Jacques acted as a sparring partner, while Meat read to him his sister's new schemes. His nephew sat cross-legged next to the ring, playing all content with the spaceship his mother had built for him. It was not a spaceship like so many, its design was quite futuristic and it was black. But when it came into contact with a powerful source of light, it turned white. David didn't know that this was a small scale of the real spaceship his mother owned, but when he was older, he would know.

Meat did not believe his eyes – Mantaro had decided to tell him the truth about his father only when the latter had recovered – because his pupil had improved his ability and fluidity in his movements so much that he seemed to be a different person. Creating a kind of dance at first seemed to him a bizarre and unhealthy idea, because the wrestling between Chojin was not a game like that between humans, who were actors, but a real meeting between two people ready to kill to win. Instead he had to think again, because Mantaro seemed as light as the air when he struggled, now he really looked like Kinnikuman's son, the only one able to overcome him. His speed had tripled, the thuds in the ring had become so light that they were almost inaudible and the power of his attacks had multiplied so much that Meat was sure that a single lariat, now, would almost certainly suffocate someone.

Meat shifted his gaze from the notes of that brilliant scientist to the true wrestling phenomenon that Mantaro had finally become. For a moment he felt inadequate. He had lived with Mantaro for two years now, he knew him really well, but apparently not enough to understand that the method he used to impart wrestling was obsolete and not functional for him ... and then appears in their relationship his sister, a ghost before her return, Mantaro had even stopped talking about her, so much so that he thought he was an only child, and it took her three minutes to figure out what was the right training method to turn his brother into a true champion. But maybe it was because of the deep bond they shared that she had been able to do all this, right? But the truth was that Meat knew how much she was of another category, how much she was able to perfectly analyze any situation and find the best solution. Maybe it was him who was becoming obsolete...

"Hey, Meat..." Mantaro's voice as a ringing was becoming profound, that change that all the boys face during puberty "Can I take a two-minute break? I'd need to drink some water..." asked, leaning on the ropes of the ring.

Meat looked at him. He had never seen him so sweaty in his life. He answered with a smile, "Sure, Nisei. But two minutes, no more."

"Of course, coach!" he exclaimed with a smile, then approached the red corner of the ring and took the one-litre water bottle, opened it and drank it half. Then he looked at his nephew and asked, "David, my darling, you're not bored, are you? Do you want to get in the ring here?"

David looked at him with his blue eyes, smiled at him, and then answered, "No, uncle, don't worry! When Dad trains and I'm with him, I wait for it to end. Then he teaches me a few moves, you know? After that, if you're not tired, can you do it too?"

Mantaro melted away because of the sweetness expressed by that voice, so he answered, "Of course, my little one!" then laid down the bottle, wiped the sweat with the sponge, and began to fight Jacques again. He had to admit that even though he wasn't a Chojin, he was damn good. And he had improved!

Mantaro, while fighting, had also begun to study the opponent, and this was also noted in his movements, they were much more precise and calculated. On the other hand, he had forgotten what wrestling meant to him: fun. And his sister reminded him. That's why he had improved, he was slowly coming back to himself. "Jacques is taller than me, almost a metre and ninety, and probably weighs a few kilograms more than me. But it's also very fast. A power move would not do much, it would serve rather a technical move that could immobilize him. Yes, that's what it takes," he thought, before lashing out at the butler. He managed to block it with a grip that blocked his neck and legs, as well as his armpits. This decreed the end of the match.

When Mantaro released his grip, the French said, "Mr., you really look like another person. You’ve become a brilliant fighter. I am convinced that if you continue like this, the Tournament will be yours. I recommend that you continue to refine your techniques."

"It will be done. And thank you for training with me." Mantaro passed him his water bottle. Jacques drank a few sieves. He got out of the ring and turned to Meat, "Now I have increased gravity training, right? The tools are ready." he took off his shirt and put himself in position. Jacques pressed keys, and the range of gravity around Mantaro increased by about tenfold. The thirty-five-pound dumbbells that Mantaro lifted as if they were feathers, became so heavy that a single bend became as difficult as lifting a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound handlebar.

"Mr., remember that you must not strive more than you should. It's the first time you’ve been training and in a day's time you have an important match that will decide your entry to the semi-finals, don't spoil before time."

"Jacques is right, Nisei. Five more minutes and then we can finish here for today. You've already trained four hours this morning and six this afternoon, adding up the fact that it's a new training range." continued Meat.

Mantaro replied after finishing training: "Yes, of course, don't worry. I'm going to stretch a little bit.” When he finished stretching, he stood up, saying to his nephew, "Davidino, ready? I'll be—"

The intercom broke the conversation: — _Please return to the living room. We have to tell you some important things_ – Cris's voice did not admit replicas and Mantaro, after taking a very fast shower, headed with the other three in the living room.

He noticed that his mother and the Masks were still there and chatting amicably. David as soon as he saw his grandparents ran to them with his arms open, holding his spaceship in his left hand. Robin immediately picked him up, lifting his mask little and giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Did you have fun, _sweetheart?_ Do you like to play with your spaceship?"

"Yes, _granddad!_ And the most beautiful thing is that my mother built it for me, and when there's so much light, it changes color!" exclaimed the little one enthusiastically, fumbling with his toy, all taken to show his grandparents all the lights that his spaceship had.

Belinda stroked David on the back, before asking her son, "Mantaro, how was the training? Why are you here? I thought you'd train until late..."

Mantaro scratched his back: "Yes, but I started a new training regimen, so I didn't want to push too hard. And then, Cris told us to come here."

"And for an important reason: we have good news. Your father has fully recovered, still half an hour, and the drops we injected him will have finished taking effect, and then you can finally see him again. Also, he won't get sick anymore, as we injected him with the ultimate cure." began Joseph, going to the kitchen to drink some water.

Meat gassed his gaze: "How "he won't get sick anymore"? What's all this about? Wants... I'd like some clarification, that's it," he asked, looking at the landlady's enigmatic gaze.

"Yes, of course.” She replied, then sat in the armchair and continued, "You must know that Mr. Kinniku was suffering from a severe form of third stage cancer with metastasis. The first time we visited him, two years ago, he had just two months to live. Malignancies had originated from the knees and then had risen, afflicting the tailbone and vertebrae, stomach, palate and optical nerves. He forced us to undergo the experimental treatment we were working on. The cure worked, but it was simply a molecular remodeler, it turned cancers into minor diseases. Being an experimental cure, however, it had side effects that led him to take on the look he had now. But - why do you cry?" looked at Meat who had crouched down to hide tears, "You know, taking that position indicates an uncontrollable fear that you have into the unknown, it is a question of protection. In some tribes of the—" Mantaro blocked her with one hand.

He knelt in front of his coach and hugged him: "Hey, Meat, I'm sorry you had to know but ... I assure you, when we learned it we were a thousand times worse. I couldn't even see him. I couldn't even sleep. But ... but now Joseph has said that he has good news and we can see him ... I know it's a shock, but now that we know he's okay, this shock should subside, right?"

Meat only nodded. Cristiana wanted to speak, but her father, from the intercom, asked: — _Chicca, darling, would you come for a moment? I have something to ask you ..._

Cris went up to her father without her two right arms. Not even ten minutes later she descended enraged, exclaiming against them: "You two are two jerks, two jerks! I pay you _five million an hour_ and you can't even do your job! I'm saying, now how can we explain the change, huh? Eh?!"

Liam and Joseph did not understand, and this time it was the blond man who asked, "What do you mean? We followed your instructions to the letter!"

Cris snorted, asking, "How many drops have you given him?"

"Twenty, as you wrote."

She squinted, "Twenty?! But... I wrote _two or three!"_

Liam took out the leaflet on which she had written the signs – the ones on the drops were at the last line – and said to her, "Here is twenty."

She took him, approached the two, and said, "I wrote, "Give him 2 or – turned the leaflet – 3 drops, at your discretion." – she looked at them – You did not turn the leaflet. Did you really mistake my "o" for my zero?!" she didn't believe it, it was a tragicomic situation.

Mantaro approached and had to defend the two doctors: "But big sister you have to admit that you write very small and the "o" you wrote almost attached to the two and it looked like a twenty, the sentence seemed to end there." He looked at her, "Why, what's the problem?"

Cris snorted: "Those drops we gave him were another type of molecular remodeling, mutating the cells so that they would return those before the disease. But having administered twenty drops, your father's body came back that of when he was thirty years old. So yes, those drops rejuvenated the body."

Belinda lit up, she didn't seem at all sorry: "A-Ah, I understand ... it's not a problem, honey ... so much I have not aged in years, it is a quality that I inherited from my mother, and if Suguru is rejuvenated ... Well, I'm going to get used to it. The important thing is that he's okay."

"I'm in perfect physical condition, my love." Suguru had got out of bed and joined his family. He was dressed in a white shirt but still wore pyjama pants because he still had some needles attached. Immediately, he went down the stairs, hugging his wife and son. "Forgive me for my silences and my lies. it was not my intention to make you suffer so much in such a short time..."

"Don't ever do it again..." said in unison mother and son, clutching him tightly. They could bear Cris's secrets and strange behaviors, but if Suguru had started behaving like this, he who was the pillar and the family's point of reference, they would have really gone mad.

Robin got up from the couch holding David and saying, "Suguru, I'm really glad you're better at last. And I'm sure our David is happy too and can't wait to get back to playing with you, isn't he, darling?" he asked his grandson, who laughed and nodded, then held out his hands toward his maternal grandfather and was taken in his arms.

"Grandpa, look at my new spaceship, My Mom built it for me! It changes color with light and has a lot of lights and sounds! When you feel better, we play together, don't we?"

Suguru broke up, smiled, and answered, "Sure, my little star." and gave him a kiss in the forehead. David laughed. Suguru loved to hear his first grandson laugh. He wanted to enjoy it until his second grandson arrived, but Mantaro had all the time in the world to find the soul mate and start a family, for which he would wait, so by now he was already grandfather of a beautiful little angel.

"Would you like something to eat, your majesty?" intruded Jacques, making a slight bow.

Suguru clenched his grandson more, who rubbed his head on his grandfather's now muscular chest: "Oh no, Jacques, there will be no need. I'll wait for dinner." he sat on the couch in front of his wife and his fellows.

"As you please," and went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. It was an important day.

It had been two days since that night that had turned everyone's lives upside down. Both the Mask and Kinniku had left the night before the quarter-final, they did not want to put unnecessary pressure on their children. Both sons had gone through to the semi-finals, both had brilliantly won against their opponents and, which had surprised everyone, Mantaro had won the match against Barrierfreeman in ten net minutes, showing his new fighting style.

Ikimon couldn't stand Mantaro's semi-final, but he was confident of succumbing to his next opponent, the same one that sent Jade to the hospital with a lot of fractures and a concussion. He couldn't stand it, but he couldn't make sure he got a bad shot, especially since the president of Lux Technologies had been clear.

_"I apologize for arriving late as a sponsor, but I was waiting for my brother and husband to both make the quarter-finals. You know, I wasn't going to throw my money away for this barbaric and uncivilizing practice without knowing that the two most important wrestlers hadn't gone to the quarterfinals." she knew she was freezing even when she held her son and stroked him on his back._

_Ikimon did not break down: "B-But yes, of course, I understand ..."_

_"Well. Stop talking unnecessarily, tell me how much you want."_

_"H-Here ... I... I thought of a hundred..." Then he thought, "If I could even get a hundred million from Lux Technologies as a sponsor, I'd go down in history as the best president ever!"_

_"That's all right. I expected more. I'll give you a hundred billion." she looked impassively, while he almost fell from his chair to hear that figure from nababbi "I don't understand why he wants the change, anyway ... this is the contract. Sign and you'll have your money."_

_Ikimon, without thinking twice, signed and saw her smile as if she had gabbated him. "That ... what's there?"_

_"Oh, no matter what. Only now, thanks to that contract, he can no longer sabotage my brother Kinniku Mantaro, because otherwise every right passes to me and I will cancel this useless Tournament. In addition to making all his wrongdoing public. You know, my spies are very efficient. The IWF will lose face. You get up to your feet – You learn to read the contracts before you sign them, because you just made a contract with the devil," and she left with her son and butler._

_"Damn, and who knew that kinniku Mantaro clown was the brother of the most powerful and richest being in history? This time I fooled myself, damn me!" hissed to himself Ikimen. This wasn't supposed to happen._

However, it had been about five days since that meeting, two by the end of the quarter-finals. Kevin had been called by Jacques, he had to go home. But he wasn't told why. However, the fact that the butler had congratulated him did not suggest the danger that lurked around the corner.

Cris stood and watched her husband, sitting cross-legged on the bed: "Kevin, we must speak," he looked at her questioningly with his blue eyes, when he was at home – unlike his before him – he was not wearing the mask "Jacques found this chip in your raincoat. " She pulled it out of her pocket – I know it's from a strip club," and there she stopped, she wanted to hear what Kevin had to say.

He lowered his gaze and head, he knew that he could only be so vulnerable with her: "I took that chip because it was needed to get into that strip club ... Is... is that it's so much that we don't make love and ... and I needed to vent my impulses in some way... but I swear to you I just looked at them ... - he was crying - ... Not... I could never betray you."

Cris stroked Kevin on the cheek: "Don't think I miss our intimacy, Kevin. I miss it, too. Very much. But you know that since the time of the—"

"Yes, I know. How could I forget that? That day I nearly lost you." he stood up and hugged her, "You must not justify yourself to me. I'm the one in the wrong. I'm not as strong as you are.”

"No. We're both in the wrong. I'm more than you. I was the one who deprived you of such an outburst."

Kevin kissed her in the forehead and wiped a tear from her with a thumb: "It's not an outlet. It's a way of telling you how much I love you." he looked into her eyes, her so dark and his so blue, "And if I have to wait for the end of Chojin to tell you how much I love you then I will wait. So little is missing now..."

"It will also be short, but if I have brought you to so much it means that I have not respected you as a person ... I'm sorry so much love ... it's just that I love you so much and—"

Kevin kissed her on the lips, crying a tear from his right eye, took her face in his hands and said, looking into her eyes: "Don't even say it as a joke, please. You were the first person who loved me with all of herself and respected me as if I were a part of you, so these things have no sense or weight. I know you love me, otherwise you wouldn't have married me and you wouldn't have given me the most beautiful child in the world for son ... and I'm so sorry for forbidding you to have other children and—"

“It was just a fatality, love... don't think it's your fault," she kissed him more passionately, and he promptly responded, stroking her shoulders and lifting her and clutching her more to himself, they were more than half a meter apart and in the long run his back could have pained him. But Cris didn't bother, it had been so long, too long that they didn't kiss like that. Yes, she missed everything about Kevin.

Cris then broke away from that long nostalgic kiss and placed her head on her husband's chest: it was so much that they didn't love like that. Kevin then laid her on the bed and exchanged a sweet look, smiling tenderly. It was Kevin who spoke this time: "You have no idea how much I missed you. The bed is always cold without you ... Before I go to sleep, not being able to kiss you for good night makes me feel empty. Without you I returned an aggressive and cynical hooligan. Opponents in the ring are the only way I have to appease my frustration and sadness. I miss you too much now. In fact, I miss you too much."

Cris looked down and bit her lower lip: "And you tell me? – she was going to cry again – Spending time with David without you does not have the same value, I feel as if the other half of my soul is missing. You make mine, our days more beautiful and colorful, and no longer feel your rice so crystal clear it depresses me ..." looked him in the shiny eyes. "But I also know that it's best for you to stay away from us until the end of chojin, so that you can focus and give your best in the ring."

_“You're incredible, my sweet tiger.”_ and this time he kissed her in the forehead.

"I never thought you loved each other so much. You're just the other half of your soul. A reciprocity that I have seen a few times in my life. I'm happy for you." and the figure who had overheard the conversation went back to the lab, finishing what she was doing.

«!» Kevin did it to talk again, but he squinting at hearing someone knocking on the door. Then he said, "Come in!" and after a few minutes the door opened slowly, and attached to the handle was little David who had a sly look and an amused smile. "Hello love! Tell me, what are you doing here? You didn't want to be smart by spying on mom and dad, did you?" as he said it softened, taking his son in his arms and tickling him on his belly.

David smiled and laughed amusedly, then answered, "No, no! I also want to give a lot of kisses to Mom!"

Cris then smiled, got up and went to her two men, picked up David and said, "Ah, well, if that's the case then..." and then her son filled her with kisses, then rubbed her noses and the little one snuggled up on her breast: "My darling, is there anything else? I know that look..."

David stood up with his back and, with two fawn eyes, said to both of them, "Can Dad stay here tonight? I miss him so much, Mom..." He looked down and played with his fingers: "Uncle Mantaro is here with us and he also competes as dad, why not?" then turned to his father "Dad, I miss you so much, come back to us ..." and was almost going to cry.

The parents then felt heartbroken, because their child, their life, their soul, was sad and unhappy, he felt broken, and they embraced him tightly, stroking him. Then Cris said: "My little – no, ours – Dad is not here with us because he loves us very much, and because of that he would not be able to give his best in training and meetings, because he would always be with us and he would not train, maybe he would not even participate in the matches, and so he could not win. And you know that winning the Chojin is one of Dad's dreams, right?"

"Yes, Mom," she looked at her with his ice-blue eyes, "But Uncle Mantaro is in the Chojin too, and if they collide and one of them wins then they fight and then they don't talk anymore and ... and ..." and wept. He clutched onto his mother's chest and bathed it with his tears, while his mother clutched him and kissed him in the forehead, and Kevin hugged them both.

When David calmed down, it was Kevin who spoke, saying, "My love, I promise you that I will not quarrel with Uncle Mantaro over such a futile thing. I can separate my life and my sporting career. Don't cry anymore. Do you want some ice cream? Yes?" and the thing that surprised his wife was the appointment of Chojin as "futile". That he said that just to console his son?

"Yes!" exulted his son, "But I don't know if mommy makes me eat it... I already ate one today..."

Cris looked him in the eye: "True, but this time I'm going to tear it up..."

David then got out of his mother's arms and asked, "Can Uncle Mantaro come too?"

"Of course," the parents replied, and the son slid to call his uncle, while Cris made a speech: "Kevin, which means you consider chojin "futile"? If it's as futile as you say, why then do you participate in it?"

The Englishman sighed: "I ... ah, to hell with it! You know how important Chojin is to me, to win it, especially, because so my father could forgive me ... but if it appears with David, it becomes futile. Everything becomes futile when compared to him..." sighed again “I don't want you to—"

"I won't get it wrong, don't worry. –approached him – When you do so you are terribly sexy, my love ..." and this time it was she who kissed him with malice, while Kevin's hands had descended into an off-limits area. Cris, however, seemed to want a little more intimacy, her wild side wanted to take over, but her sixth sense told her to calm down. "I promise you, we will spend our best night until now, when the Tournament is over."

Kevin possessed her: "Every night spent with you is unforgettable..." he said it languously, and Cris found it sensual enough to make her shiver.

That intimate atmosphere was interrupted by a new knock on the door, and after the two opened they saw Mantaro holding David, and the boy seemed to shine with his own light while holding his nephew, then said, "Excuse me if I bother you, I wanted to tell you that one day of these, if you will, I can look after David, true, love?” and little David laughed and gave him a few kisses. The uncle continued, "I know it's been a long time since you've spent a little time, to use a pun. Would you be fine?"

Kevin smiled sweetenedly, Cris noticed, and he said, "Sure. Thank you, Mantaro” and then he turned to his son, "You really like being with Uncle Mantaro, huh?"

David shrugged his uncle more and smiled slyly, saying, "Yes, yes!" and then he made the precious and hid half of his face on Mantaro's chest: "Uncle Mantaro is the best uncle in the whole universe!" and stretched his arms with his greatest possible measure, and then embraced him. And Mantaro responded by clutching it to himself and squeezing it, under the happy and proud gaze of his parents.

"Well, I'd say we can go down and eat ice cream, I’m so hu-," Cris said, but she was interrupted by Liam and Joseph.

"Sorry if we interrupt you, Cris ..." Liam said.

"But we have the data that is needed for the second part of the research," Joseph concluded.

"Enjoy the ice cream too, guys," Cris said, putting on her blue coat, "I have a search to complete," and so she went out with her colleagues to go to the lab.

"It's always like this. It's never going to change," sighed Kevin, disconsolately, "As soon as she can go back to the lab..."

"Come on Kevin, now don't think about it, let's go snack, David strepita!" said the prince, sunny.

"Right," the father concluded, before heading into the dining room – in this case, ice cream. He saw that Jacques had already prepared everything, including their favorite cups, which meant that Cris had told everything to the French from the laboratory. He saw him turned back on lemonade, David's favorite drink, and said, "You're really efficient, Jacques. I do believe why Cris sees you as a father."

Jacques turned smiling: "Thank you for the compliment, sir, but I don't think that's why the young lady sees me as a father. Maybe it's just because she loves me. But now let's not talk about this, your son is here."

David got out of Mantaro's arms as soon as he saw his favorite cup and, approaching with his eyes shining, exclaimed, "Wow, the strawberry cup, my favorite! You're the best, Jacques! _Je t'aime!_ ”

_"Oh, je t'aime aussi,_ David."

Mantaro looked at Jacques, "Are you teaching him French?"

"Yes, sir," smiled, "Your sister wants him to have as many connections as possible between synapses."

"Typical of Cris!" said in unison – but without noticing – Kevin and Mantaro, and then burst out laughing at that randomness.


	12. Event never calculated

Mantaro had invited his friends to his new home, knowing that his sister wanted to invite them to dinner. He had shown them his new room and then they threw themselves into training. His friends did not escape the fact that Mantaro trained with his sister's butler, nor how he now trained willingly. You could see that he was hungry for victory, Chojin's victory. He wanted to win to make his father proud and prove to everyone that he was no longer the Mantaro they had known, he was not the traumatized Mantaro, he was the real Mantaro, the one who kept in his heart the teachings that his father had given him about wrestling when he was still a child. And then, now that he had his sister back by his side and had a new life as an uncle, he couldn't afford to be a bad example to his nephew.

The prince moved sinuously and quickly, it really seemed that it was as light as the air. It was natural for him to wrestle with that new style, and now his friends had understood why that time, in the corridors of the School of Hercules, Ramenman had confided to the other instructors how Mantaro had the purest and rarest talent he had ever seen for wrestling, which far surpassed even his father. And while Seiuchin became a little intrigued, aware that he could not improve much, Gazelleman and Terry had become green with envy, leading them to act sufficiently towards him. But in the end, his cheerfulness and his smile had also overcome their envy and had become friends.

However, Gazelleman couldn't believe how fast and graceful Mantaro had become in the ring, so he came up and said, "Damn, can you know how you got so fast and graceful in a few days?! You don't look like you either, Mantaro! You even have a different light in your eyes!"

Jacques paused, allowing the prince to respond. First he smiled awkwardly scratching his back, then admitted: "Here... it's all because of my sister. She studied my training regimen and the style most suited to my physicality. As for the kind of lightness that you see now in my movements, it is given by the fact that on my planet the force of gravity is less and, despite being an almost entirely rocky planet, our bones, believe it or not, are hollow, despite being harder than the diamond. With the style I had before I struggled a lot to react to enemy attacks, also because I feel heavier on this planet. But with this new style I can better manage my energies and my strengths, everything comes to me more natural now. Why this question?"

Terry blinked twice, while Gazelleman had his mouth wide open. Seiuchin simply didn't believe his ears. Jacques sensed the tension that was being created, so he said, "Mr., I think it's better to go back to training. I remind you that in four days the semi-finals will take place. If I'm not mistaken, you want to win the next fight, too, right?"

Mantaro turned to him and nodded, "Right. I want to make my father proud." "And my grandson too," he thought, but since he had not yet told his friends about his sister's family and his new life – especially his brother-in-law! – he was aware that it was better not to put too much meat on the fire. Not now, at least. He knew Kevin had asked his coach to spend the night with his wife, so he was sure that during their dinner he would arrive with David.

And so, without saying anything, he went back to training with Jacques, while his friends continued to enjoy that futuristic gym. Gazelleman was very happy, because he had not yet met Cristiana, while Terry was a little sad because he had not yet seen her. He hoped with all his heart to conquer her. Ah, too bad he still didn't know the whole truth... who knows how he would have stayed! It would certainly have been a tragicomic situation.

Three more hours passed before Mantaro's training ended. Meat was very pleased with the new improvements of his protégé, especially as he now asked him for advice before getting into the ring, during training, and when he struggled he needed a glance to understand with him. He was so happy that he had become a real Chojin. Yet, in those last days, a wave of melancholy had taken him, because he was aware that by now, his second duty had done so. By now Mantaro no longer needed him ... his sister was already thinking about it.

Now that he was thinking about it, Mantaro spoke of her sister as if she were a goddess on earth. He never spoke ill of her, indeed, he had no eyes but for her, claiming how perfect she was and how when they were children they often slept together and enjoyed stargazing. She had also confided to him how free she felt with him to say what she thought and always offered him a shoulder to cry on and understood him perfectly. That Meat was beginning to feel overshadowed by the return of a sister he was unaware of? Maybe it is.

Mantaro got out of the ring and addressed his friends with a smile on his face: "Then, the showers are on the right. If you follow me, I'll show you, they’re really cool, they're all steam showers with ionized water! It’s a real lifesaver for the body!" he began to push them in the direction of the showers "Meat, Jacques, don't wait for us! In ten minutes we will be done!" and he continued to push his friends into the showers, not listening to their grievances. Meat and Jacques went down to the seventh floor, where Cristiana was waiting for them.

She was wearing a dark blue trouser suit that day, with a white shirt slightly open on her collar. She had black decolletage at her feet, these were Christian Laboutin's signatures – a gift from her husband – and her hair left loose and wavy. That was one of her financial market holdings. She must have played with the World Cup. And now she was looking, on holograms, at the latest results of the research she was conducting with her team. She would soon have to receive the latest results to confirm what they already knew. When Meat and Jacques got off, Meat sat opposite her and Jacques prepared her a drink. When he brought it to her, she started sipping it. Soon after, Mantaro and his friends arrived, who sat next to Meat, while Mantaro sat next to his sister.

He smiled, laid his hands on his knees, and, after looking quickly at his friends, asked his sister,"Big sister, then? Do you remember that you had to tell them something?"

Cris stopped reading the accounts of some banks she had intended to buy, looked at his brother's three friends, studied them again, and then said, "Of course. I wanted to apologize for my behavior a week ago. I admit that my scientific behavior is not very understandable or easy to bear ... I apologize in particular to you, Gazelleman, my brother confided to me your indisposition towards me. It wasn't my intention to put you in awe, but my life over the last seven years has been based on science, it comes naturally to me to study what surrounds me. And to excuse me, you are invited to dinner tonight."

"And we welcome it!" exclaimed Terry without thinking, happy to have a chance with Mantaro's sister. He had already studied a lot of scientific notions to impress, he hoped to impress her at least a little, even though he hadn't even finished high school. Gazelleman stunned Terry with his eyes, but he could not refuse in front of his friend, so he let out a smile and nodded. Seiuchin smiled and nodded.

"Well. Jacques, you can make dinner. In the meantime, we can sit in the room. As you can see, I'm not the aut- oh, excuse me. I absolutely have to see these results. " She opened the hologram and read the results, then activated the voice function and said, "Congratulations, team. We have a cure for HIV." and while the guests were shocked and Mantaro ready to congratulate his sister, a roar of happiness exploded in the lab, before its members – Liam, Joseph, Hinori, Camille and Ayo – used electron transport to stand in front of their boss.

Liam and Joseph immediately hugged Cris forcefully, exclaiming, "Yes! Finally, after seven years of research and study, we made it! We made it!!!” then they broke off.

It was Ayo who spoke: "Jacques, uncork the best bottle of champagne, I recommend! We have to celebrate!" and the butler did not answer, but simply bowed and went to get the champagne.

Mantaro burst with joy: "Congratulations big sister!" and embraced her with so much energy that he made her lie on the couch with momentum. The scientists looked at that happy scene, before Mantaro realized that his friends had been on the sidelines, so he uneded himself from the embrace with his sister, stood up and said, "Er … these are my friends."

The first to turn around was Camille. She was franco-messican. She had brown, almost black eyes; black hair, long up to half-backs moved, with a long fringe that covered the entire forehead. Little tanned skin, almost antique pink. She had freckles. She looked at them but said nothing. Ayo and Hinori then turned. Ayo was the daughter of Namibian parents, dark skin but, due to a genetic abnormality, had white hair and blue eyes. Her hair, even these long ones, was combed in dreads that were gathered in a low tail. She, too, said nothing and looked at them. Hinori, on the other hand, was Japanese, and his black eyes contrasted perfectly with her hair dyed pale green. It was a classic manga cut: fringe with two long locks on the sides and two chignons. She also observed them, but spoke, "Good evening. I'm Hinori, and my colleagues are Ayo and Camille. I apologize if we looked cold, they were just studying you. We are not the typical people who show up without understanding who we have in front of us."

"And know that we, unlike our leader, have no problem looking cold and detached. We certainly don't want to make a good first impression. For us, the only thing that matters is science," Ayo continued.

Camille approached Seiuchin and said, "From what I can infer, a rosary sprouts from your pocket. So you believe in God. A very respectable idea, if only I were not convinced that there is no God or strength or energy. Everything that happens is the result of intrinsic mechanisms of the universe. But if you want to believe in God, go ahead. Even the leader believes in God," Camille concluded, scaring Mantaro's friends. What the heck, were all his sister's friends like that?!

Terry, however, went back to look at the two male friends, and for a very specific reason: he knew them. He knew who they were though ... but he never thought they'd come this far. He got up, came up and said, "Liam, Joseph, but why have you become human? Didn't you like being Chojin? You could have pursued your dreams even as Chojin..."

At this point Cris intervened, because she knew how annoying that topic was to his friends: "I don't think it's a topic to discuss now. Back in the lab, your work isn't done yet. The champagne has already been brought there." and her employees did what was required. She looked again at her guests and said, "Please, follow me. If I'm not mistaken, you wanted to know more about my travels, right?"

"Eh? Ah, yes, yes, right," Terry replied, seeing how she was smiling. She had a really nice smile. And the fact that it had a slight gap between the incisors made it even more unique. They followed her, noting how Mantaro held her sister by the hand, and how she let him do it. They were beginning to understand what Meat meant when he said Mantaro had no eyes but for his sister.

They sat down and Jacques began to serve the appetizer. For Gazelleman they had all prepared vegetarian dishes. Terry, while eating, asked, "Mantaro told us that you are a genius and that you have been away seven years for your studies, but, you know, what exactly is your job? You know, we didn't expect Mantaro to have such a brilliant sister."

Cris swallowed the morsel, drank some water, wiped her mouth, and replied, "I am the owner, as well as president and CEO, of Lux Technologies. I founded it the first year of my departure. In the meantime, I've got more degrees and master's degrees. I also started studying quantum mechanics. As you've heard before, we've found a cure for HIV. Do you want to know more?" she asked, as Jacques carried the first.

Mantaro intervened, realizing that his friends felt inadequate: " _Sorellona_ , what do you say about your first trip to Borneo? I know it has a special place in your heart!"

Cristiana smiled beautifully, saying, "That journey was a kind of baptism of fire, not only for me, but also for Liam and Joseph. It was one of the first trips we made, and I don't hide that then we went back other times, because it's an open-air lab. We were perfectly equipped, but we weren't very prepared for all the dangers of the forest. We also came across a tiger that, for some strange reason, became fond of us. Every time we go back to Borneo, we have parties. It is also true that before we had to fight ... we got away with it. Otherwise I wouldn't be here to tell you, would I?" she asked, melting up a little. She didn't want to look like a robot, but like a normal person.

It was Gazelleman, strangely, who asked, "If I can, what is the place that most impressed you with its aura of mystery?"

She looked at him, then began to get lost in memories: "If I have to be honest I have not one place, but three. The first is the forest, for some it may seem imbued with a cacophony, but in reality it is his way of communicating with us. When you need to reconnect with mother earth, just take off your shoes, lie on the grass and inhale the air that tastes like bark ... when I do, I always feel a new energy pervading my body. – she had not noticed that her brother was looking at her with the eyes of a child fascinated by his mother – Then there is the desert. The first desert I visited was that of the Atacama, and the silence that you feel and live has such a mysterious and sacred taste ... it almost seems like God is resting there. I remember the first night, I lay outside my tent to see the stars ... it seemed to me that I had my brother back by my side. – they noticed that she shook his hand, while Mantaro smiled sweetened – And the last ... the last one is the seabed. There is a whole other world underwater, mysterious and unknown ... there the mystery is synonymous with wonder. " Gazelleman looked, as Jacques carried the second one, "Have I satisfied your request?"

Gazelleman nodded, "Yes, a lot," and then there was silence because they came back to enjoy dinner. Mantaro was so happy that his friends had finally appreciated his sister and understood the beautiful person she was.

Terry did to talk, he wanted to try a first approach, but Cris received a message on her cell phone: it was Kevin. He had come with David to spend the night together. The only woman on the table said, "Excuse me for a second, I must go and welcome someone I wish you know."

After greeting him with a tender "Hello Love" and giving him a kiss on the lips, she took him, while holding David in his arms, to the room where they were having dinner. They stopped behind Terry, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said, "I wanted to introduce you to my husband and son."

All three blinked their eyes, Gazelleman and Seiuchin because they saw who her husband was, Terry, because he couldn't try. He sighed and turned around too, feeling the blood froze and his hair straightened. He exclaimed, immediately turning to Mantaro: "How the heck is it possible that Kevin Mask is your brother-in-law?! Do your families know?"

Kevin snorted, "Yes, it's a pleasure for me to see you too. And to answer it, yes, they know, and yes, they're very happy about it. " He looked at his son,"David, what is it, are you shy? Come on, say hello!"

David, after laughing with his face facing his paternal chest, turned and, looking at the three guests, waved his right hand and said, "Hi, I'm David!" and I think it's pointless to say how much Terry has melted because of that sweet little voice and the pinching cheeks.

Cris turned to her husband again: "Dear, it's not long before the end of dinner, then I'll join you. Wait for me in the room." and gave him another kiss on the lips. Kevin did what was required without batting an eye.

The evening had gone great. Mantaro's friends had totally re-evaluated Cris, especially from how she interacted with her brother and how she talked about her son, and Gazelleman had gone from feeling embarrassed with Cristiana to feeling embarrassed with her colleagues, who he longed to never see again. And anyway, after dinner was over, even though she insisted on keeping them there to sleep, they preferred to go out under the pretext that they had to train.

Actually, it wasn't true. They simply wanted to go out for a drink and discuss what they had just learned, because it was not everyday to discover that the two strongest Chojin families in history, archenemy, had been inextricably united by marriage between their children. Of course, Cristiana was not Mantaro's biological sister – and when she said it they were stoned – but she was still a full-fledged daughter of Suguru Kinniku, so they would have expected pandemonium, instead they were all happy with that love story. Aside from Mantaro, they had guessed how he had looked at Kevin when he kissed his sister.

Fact is, they ended up in a rather trendy Club in Shibuya having a drink. To their surprise, they also found Jacqueline Muscle, who was drinking alone at the bar of the club in a very, very succinct dress. She was the same age as Mantaro, so she drank despite being forbidden to her. But the bartender probably cared more about her. It was true that they too drank even though they were minors – except Gazelleman – but it was also true that they looked older than their real age, and since they were all their fans in those places, they let it run.

Terry decided to sit next to Jacqueline, ordering a beer to start, and ask her, "Hey, Jacqueline, what are you doing here? Escaped from your father's eyes?"

Jacqueline drank her margarita before replying: "My father is asleep and Ikimon is too caught playing with his dolls to notice my absence. I thought I'd have some fun, look for some interesting man... maybe find some trendy locals for tomorrow night. Is it a long time since you've been single?"

Terry understood that she must be high, so he replied,"Mh, for the moment I prefer to find the most interesting doll, if you understand what I mean. Too bad the reds aren't my type, they remind me too much of my mother, you know?"

Jacqueline sighed, now the bartender was pouring chupiti: "My mother died before I could remember her. My father always allowed me everything and I enjoyed torturing my brother. – drank the first chupito – But if you allow, these things should not be discussed tonight. I thought those like you – she began to stroke his arm, even though Terry was reluctant – had been around for a while ... where were you hiding?"

Terry was joined by Gazelleman and Seiuchin who came to his aid, sitting one to Jacqueline's left and one to Terry's right. The Texan replied, "We were having dinner with Mantaro's sister. Yes, I know that it—"

She drank the fourth chupito: "Cris always seems cold and detached, a robot, at first impression, especially since she always focuses only on her studies. When she was younger, she was even more fun, you know? She was also more rebellious and wild ... ah, I remember very well those evenings in Hawaii ... it's a pity that she's so serious now."

Terry squinted, the other two almost spit out their drinks: "You... Did you know that Mantaro had a sister?"

Jacqueline showed off the expensive diamond and platinum bracelet she had on her right wrist: "Do you see this bracelet? She gave it to me. We're best friends, though it wouldn't seem. My father doesn't know that we are friends, and he doesn't even know that the summers when I told him that I went abroad to study actually I went around the world and I was shopping with her ... not that my father could get angry, he would never be mad at me!"

Seiuchin found the courage to ask, "But ... but then you are aware of the ... her son and her husband's existence?"

She laughed unsyingly, her dress almost fell if it weren't for Terry who, abruptly, held it up: "Did she tell you that colossal bale too? It's true, I saw her pregnant and all, but I can't believe she married that cool Kevin Mask! I've never seen them together and anyway, as far as I'm concerned, she might have taken a hair from that stallion, extracted the DNA and with his scientific methods to have it implanted in the uterus... she is not a person who loves emotions, if you understand what I mean ... or it could be Liam David's father, which would make sense, they're both blond!" she receded her head and then took Terry by the chin, "What if we had a little fun, you and I?"

Gazelleman asked, "Why don't you think they're married? We saw them a lot in intimacy tonight ... as two newlyweds."

The three Chojin had realized that she was so drunk, and maybe what she was saying didn't really think so, but it was true alcohol was able to make the truth more easily to both humans and chojins, so ... The alien continued: "Tsk, as far as I'm concerned, may have given him a lot of money just for that little play... you know, they're best friends, Kevin would do anything for her... Money is not a problem for her, you know she became the new sponsor of the Tournament? The pacts were clear, but for the richest and most powerful in history every door is open ... and my brother was very happy to take her money."

They glossed over the sponsor issue, Mantaro had already mentioned something to them, but they still couldn't understand why she didn't want to believe she was really married to Kevin. Seiuchin tried this time: "Miss Jacqueline, I think you can tell us why you don't think they're married, do you? Be sure that we will not say anything to either Mantaro or his sister, we barely know her ..."

Jacqueline hugged Seiuchin, laying her head on his right shoulder: "Because she would never have done a headshot like that... you know she told me – what a laugh! – that he asked her to marry her out of the blue with a 20-carat mega diamond and she accepted! But please! Cris? The one that calculates the probability of an event occurring before deciding what to do? I'm sorry but no, I don't believe it!" she ordered a cup of coffee with ginger zest, a very strange drink that allowed the Chojin to undo the effects of alcohol, drank it and then got up. "Well, it was nice to talk to you! Now excuse me, but it's better if I go back to the hotel, I wouldn't want my brother to find out I'm not in my room! At the next meeting!" and she walked perfectly in her heels, while someone looked at her and shook his head, wondering why such a young girl was around so late.

Jacqueline called the taxi but asked him not to take her to her hotel, but to Cris's house. She wanted to see it clear. She loved her friend very much, she had helped her so many times, but she would never believe that she was married to Kevin Mask. No, not with the _bad boy_ par excellence, not with a thug who ran away from home, with piercings and tattoos. Not with the man she hoped to charm and bewitch. Kevin Mask was her target, although he didn't give her a look – maybe he was really married to Cris? – but his bad boy behavior drove her crazy. And she had to tell him absolutely.

And then, there was another reason why she didn't believe in that incredible union for the Chojin: Kevin Mask was her target, the only man she really wanted, because he was a man – unlike the others – who always gave her a burst of endorphins just by looking at him. He had to be her. Cristiana had already gained everything from life: beauty, talent, intelligence, wealth, fantastic friends and an unprecedented business empire. All she needed was a phone call to change the fortunes of the universe. She never missed a beat. Her style was impeccable. She had a lot of men at her feet in the scientific world. She couldn't have bewitched Kevin Mask's heart, he didn't have a modicum of education, how could she have chosen him? She had a three-way relationship with Liam and Joseph, wasn't that enough?

And then, let's face it, she was sure that Kevin Mask had married her – if it was true, which really wasn't – just for money, so he could do what he wanted without worrying about having a decent salary. Then, one day, he would file for divorce, so he could take half her money and make a life as a nababbo. Kevin Mask could have all the women in this universe... why on earth choose a woman so cold, rational, crushed by love and emotions, hard-working like Cris? She knew her friend was a really nice person, but, she said, she had those flaws that would never benefit a relationship.

With those thoughts she made her way to Cris's room, after thanking Jacques for opening the door and telling her that Cris would reach Kevin in their room after she had finished talking to her brother, and opened the door. She found Kevin in bed, shirtless, wearing a mask. Fortunately, he hadn't taken it off.

"And why are you here-" he began aggressively, but she immediately jumped on the bed in a sensual way, lowering her dress implying that she was not wearing anything, put her finger on his mask and said:

“Shh ... Now I'll entertain you ..." and started kissing him on the chest.

Kevin, impaled, took her by the shoulders and detached her from him, but at that moment his wife came in and, with eyes grainy and full of tears, simply said, " _Brocken_." putting her hands in the shape of a triangle covering her nose and mouth, before violently closing the door, locking it, and running away, in her son's room.

That event had never calculated it, the worst miscalculation of his life.


	13. Never such a mistake again

Cris ran like a madwoman, the tears that kept coming down her cheeks and reddened her eyes, the mascara that flowed her cheeks, the heels that rumbled on the precious floor of a glass-like material for noise but not for color; her hiccups were the only sound you could hear, her breaths confirmed that she was still alive.

She couldn't believe it. _She could never have believed it_ \- if she hadn't seen it. Her husband was cheating on her with her best friend. _Her husband._ The only man she had ever really loved to such an extent that she married him, allowed him to give her the first kiss, to see her naked and to consume her virginity because of the love they felt from each other, had betrayed her. She had done anything for him. She had married young, had given him a son, had signed a premarital contract that sanctioned that both parties would let their son go the way he wanted, without having to wear a mask in particular; she had chosen not to invite her mother and brother on her wedding day, she had chosen to travel less to be with him. She had done all this just for him, and he had now cheated on her with her best friend. Well, she should have expected it. Her physique wasn't what Kevin preferred, she didn't have the right curves, she wasn't tall enough. But Jacqueline's physique was perfect, just like Kevin wanted. And then, she had no longer had the courage to make love to him after the scraping, while Jacqueline was ready for anything ...

She was stupid. For the first time in her life, she had made a mistake, she had made a huge miscalculation. She had never calculated that outcome, maybe she should have. What was she got in mind? In those seven years of studying around the entire universe, didn't she realize that the only link that dictated interpersonal bonds between people was libido? The reports were based only on whether or not to satisfy that primordial impulse that left animal instincts free and allowed the survival of the species , but she for once believed it could be something else, she really believed it, and now here is the result. But what had she been up to? She knew perfectly well that emotions were just neurochemical reactions of the brain, yet she had thought that somehow they were connected to the soul, the only thing that science was unable to demonstrate ... that naïve she had been! She preferred to rely on instinct instead of probabilistic calculations, she would have to choose between Liam and Joseph, both had desirable physical characteristics for any woman, as well as being extremely intelligent, and instead preferred Kevin, because of the neurochemical reactions that his behavior aroused. That's stupid. Didn't she know that only rationality allowed a person to make the best choices in life? Only a total detachment from reality could guarantee an overview, and she had preferred to participate in it. She would never make such a mistake again, never again.

She kept thinking that she could never live there again, in that house, or in the other houses she owned. It was Kevin who furnished all those houses, he had always loved the interior décor and what's more he was really good ... how could she live in a place that would always remind her of the love she had nurtured for a man who had not respected her and had broken every marriage promise, proving to be only a coward and a thug? She couldn't. She should have looked at her son every day of her life, and remembered that he had half the genetic heritage in common with that being that had deeply hurt her, she couldn't afford to live with other memories steeped in her past life. She had decided, she would live around the world, without a fixed dwelling, and her son could live experiences that no man could live ... yes, that was the right and thoughtful choice.

She tried to calm down a little before quickly entering her son's room, wrap him in a blanket and take Strawberry, David's strawberry teddy bear... Kevin gave it to him, so it wasn't good for him to keep it. He threw it on the bed, his son would have a new teddy bear, better and, above all, without any sign of his father. Her son was still asleep. He really was a little angel. She wouldn't take anything of his own, it reminded her too much of Kevin. She would buy back all his clothes around the world.

She walked out of the chamber running, had ordered Liam and Joseph to wait for her in the secret chamber, a chamber in which she had the positron-emitting wave conveyor, able to transport them anywhere on earth in a fraction of a second, because there they could escape and never return. She didn't notice that David had woken up, clenched to her breasts, and spied on her with a right eye. He listened curiously. He had never seen his mom in those conditions. He had never seen her cry. But he knew that only a few people could make her cry like this, his dad and Uncle Mantaro. Because they were the two people she loved the most in the world. So he wanted to know more, especially because for the first time he saw her out of place, and she looked even prettier. But what struck him the most was the stamp of mom's voice. His mother had no sharp voice, far from it; it was modulated but penetrating, his father called her _silvery voice,_ but it was still able to warm your heart. It could make you feel good just by hearing it. Still, he remembered very well how it was able to become a chilling, glacial voice as many times as she wanted, almost ghostly. Yet, now that warm, relaxing voice was broken by sobs and broken by crying, it almost seemed like the voice of purest despair. He had never seen that side of his mother.

"Don't cry, Mom...' told her, looking her in the eye. He didn't know who her mother was crying about, he didn't care, he just wanted her to smile again, that's why he stretched his hands on his mother's cheeks and wiped away tears "Did you have a nightmare, Mom? I'm protecting you, you know?"

Cris squeezed her son to herself, rubbing her nose with that of his son: "Little my ..." and she said nothing else, the words died in her throat, and she took him to Liam and Joseph. Her two best friends, when they saw her like this, got scared. She told them she would explain everything then, when they arrived in Paris. She entrusted David to them and told him to wait a moment before running to her brother.

As she ran, she could not help but think that Mantaro was right. She should not have married Kevin, a thug who ran away from home who then joined the d.M.p. just to spite his father ... she could have had better, she deserved better. And with those tears that carried her thoughts, she paused before her brother, who looked at her impanicate. "Big sister, what the hell?"

She whispered, taking away her faith and the ring with which she had been asked for her hand: "He betrays me ..." then she raised her head, looking at her brother with reddened eyes, repeating: "He betrays me ..." gave him the rings in his hand and ran away again, disappearing into the secret chamber. At the exact moment she crossed the threshold of that room she, Liam, Joseph and David travelled to Paris. She would never make mistakes like that again, like loving.

Kevin looked at Jacqueline with grainy eyes, before knocking her to the ground with brute force and dressing. He looked at her trying to rearrange her dress, intoxicated by what had just happened. She had just had confirmation of what her best friend had always told her, but she had been shallow enough not to believe her and pull the rope too much. Only now, that rope had broken, and she had made the biggest mess of her life.

She had just ruined her best friend's life. And all because she couldn't and didn't want to believe what she had always told her. But what had she been up to?! In addition to behaving like an easy and provocative girl, she had proven to be an incredible hypocrite. Was she really so jealous of Cris that she got to that point? To the point of ruining her life?! Yet, yet she had always behaved well towards her, she had always shown her affection and understanding ... ah, the only important female figure in her life had just left!

Kevin got up with zeal from the bed, looked at her and spat, "You're just a whore! Why the hell did you do that, huh?! What, it bothered you so much that we were in love and married?! Well, _guess what,_ because of you, most likely, we won't be anymore!" he walked out of his room forcing the door, before closing it so Jacqueline could stay there. He didn't have to do any more cases.

Kevin ran down like a fortuitous, trembled from the fear of losing her, their son, the family and the love they had built together... if he had lost the only thing that had driven him to live, then it would not have made sense to live! He couldn't live without her, she was the only person who could bring out the best in him, without her he would stop being the best Kevin he could love! He had to stop her at any cost, he had to! He couldn't have been there before.

When he got to the floor where he was sure his brother-in-law and Jacques were, a very quick fist hit his face in full, and Kevin was sure that arm would have pierced his skull side by side if only he hadn't worn a metal helmet. He heard the voice of a fury fill the air: "I swear to God I will kill you!", and he was sure that Mantaro would open him in two with his bare hands if Jacques did not intervene by blocking him.

"Young gentlemen, calm down! Please, I am sure there is an explanation for everything!".

"There is no explanation in a betrayal, Jacques! And now let me kill this bastard! – he looked at Kevin furiously – Because I swear to you that no one makes my sister suffer and stays alive!", he kept chirping like a madman, but what his bloodshot eyes saw made him speechless.

Kevin fell to the ground, on his knees, curled up clutching his knees to his chest and broke into a desperate cry. He trembled with pain and fear, tears wet his face making him adhere more to the metal mask. He sobbed, letting all his sensitive side shine through: "Don't ... I didn't betray her ... Is... it was that whore of Jacqueline ... it's all that witch's fault... I... I ...” Mantaro put the rings in his hand and Kevin almost panicked: "No, no! NO! Not... don't tell me that ... who has me the ... left for ... forever I ... I can't live without her ... She... she is the other half of my soul ... my reason for life ... She... No, no... she took david away ... my little one ... in ... I'm sure ... no ...” he trembled like a leaf, waved his head and tears cracked. Jacques realized he wasn't lying, looked at the footage and then showed it to Mantaro.

The prince calmed down, felt pain for his brother-in-law, crouched down, put his hands on his shoulders and said, "I believe you. Now let's go get your wife back."

"N-No ... She... she's already gone forever... Not... will not come back ... I... I -- "

Mantaro blocked him by the shoulders, shrugged him, looking him in the eye and shouting, "For God's sake! You're Kevin Mask! A man all in one piece, cruel and cold in the ring! You can't reduce yourself like a wet sponge! Do you really want to give up the love of your life or do you want to take it back?! Be a man for once in your life!" and gave him a slap in the face.

Kevin looked at him. He said, "Thank you, Mantaro, you're right. – stood up – But ... we don't know where they are, they could be everywhere an—"

At this point Jacques intruded: "The young lady is in Paris. Mr. Joseph sent me a message giving me the coordinates. They understood what happened. But now go, use the transporter that the young lady keeps in the lab, otherwise you will lose her forever." and, after sending them the coordinates, they ran to the laboratory. Mantaro could get in there. They would have saved that marriage, no cost.

Liam and Joseph were rereading the article they had written to warn the world of their two new discoveries, cancer and HIV treatments. They didn't publish in newspapers like _Nature_ or Vattelapesca, no no. Lux Technologies had its own specialist journal, _The Lux Sciences._ In the scientific world, when any new paper was published, it meant that those theories or cures were infallible and perfect. They could stop, the other scientists, from seeking treatment for those diseases, they had already got there, by now we could think of something else. Then Camille sent them the link of the comment – clearly positive – from one of the scientific journalists who reviewed their articles.

They opened it and read it. It said, _"They succeeded again. They found treatment for HIV and cancer in less than a decade, while the state-of-the-art research teams took more than a decade to find genetic mapping of cancer. But this should not surprise the scientific community, it is well known that the team led by The Divine is divine too. And although his team consists of three women and two men, five scientists of a different category even for the brightest Nobel laureates, it is the two doctors-researchers Liam Strongice and Joseph Chaga-Lumberjack who are the keystone in the research. Divine has always said that they could lead the laboratory, in her absence, and still conclude the research. So what should we expect now? When will the new scientific revolution come through them, which will supplant current paradigms and impose a new one?_ " but it didn't really matter what the scientific community thought of them. They had more on their minds.

Cristiana was looking after her son at the time, after talking to her lawyers. She had to explain in the best way to her child that his father would no longer travel with them and that he would see him a few times. And they absolutely had to discuss that.

"We need to make sure they get back together. We can't afford to see their solid marriage crumble like this. In addition to being doctors, we are scientists, if we applied the scientific method to understand what happened, maybe we would be able to find out the truth. I don't think Kevin could have betrayed her in any way."

"The problem, Lilo, is that Cris saw them with his own eyes, Kevin in bed shirtless under the blankets and Jacqueline shirtless on top of him ... it's really hard to believe it's all a mistake, isn't it?" asked Joseph, drinking a glass of red wine "Not to mention that Kevin didn't say anything ...”

Liam added: "I'm sure he didn't say anything because of the shock. He didn't expect such a gesture from Jacqueline. Jojo, I know that the two of us had a three-way relationship with Cris, and we loved her very much, but you know better than I did that our love was only on a mental level ... well, it couldn't be otherwise, at that time we didn't believe in emotions other than chemical reactions, remember? But we know that the two of them really love each other ... we can't let them suffer all three like that, and you know it."

Joseph nodded, "I agree." then got up because someone knocked on the door: it was Cris with David. "Oh, Cris, is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, I just wish you were a little bit with David, I'd like to take a shower... is it true that you can't wait to be with Uncle Liam and Uncle Joseph, my love?" she asked, then, addressed to her son, who smiled solar and jumped in Joseph's arms "Ah, well, I see he can't wait to be with you ... then to later." and, after giving a kiss in the face of her son, returned to her suite at the Ritz.

About 20 minutes after she left, someone else knocked on Liam and Joseph's room. It was Mantaro and Kevin. Since Joseph was playing with David, Liam walked out of the room, locking the door. He asked, "How did you find us? Ah, forget it, I hope you're here to save Cris and Kevin's wedding...”

"Where's my wife? We asked about you at reception because if we asked about her they would never let us through without notifying her...”

Mantaro, meanwhile, had entered Liam and Joseph's suite. The doctor replied: "Imperial suite. Room 406. – he stuck Kevin by the arm, looking him in the eye – I know it's not your fault. See if you can fix this mess, or I'll never forgive you."

He nodded slowly. Then he ran to his wife's room. Kevin knocked with his heart drilling in his chest at the door of the Imperial Suite of the Ritz in Paris, where he was told his wife was staying with his son before leaving for Geneva and ... and then who knows. He still had in his heart the hope that his wife would understand that this had never happened, that he wanted to return with her and that they could return to being a family. A family a little shrewd, but still a family: _its_ perfect family.

He thought maybe it was too late, maybe his wife had already left and - no, she would never leave David alone. His heart, however, was about to explode. His brain was clouded. Why hadn't his wife opened the door yet? That anxiety was appeased by the door that opened shortly afterwards. Kevin couldn't talk, his wife always ecstatic him, especially now that she's only wearing a silk jacket. He looked her in the eye, so dark, and saw first surprise, then disgust, then hatred. But, above all, her gaze still said: 'Brocken', the only thing she had said when he saw him in bed with Jacqueline. Cris made a grimace of disgust, then immediately closed the door: Kevin, as a sort of automatism, blocked the closure with one foot and, forcing, entered the room.

Cristiana didn't scream. She didn't even speak. She went to sit on the bed, with Kevin following her but standing right, next to the writing house. He noticed that there were _divorce_ papers on it _._ And Cris had already signed them. He felt missing.

"We have nothing to tell us", she finally spoke, but it was a pity that they were frosty words than ice "if you came to see David, say hello to him for the last time because then you will see him every six months. As soon as you sign the divorce papers, you're going to have to leave and leave us alone. My lawyers had advised me to request the annulment of _your_ homeland, but I felt it too much. You're still an intelligent person, more or less," she concluded, saying, "The fountain pen is there near you."

Kevin, who was standing, almost missed those words, his sight faded and his breath stopped for a moment. He took the sheets resting on the writing book trembling and asked, "Y-You're kidding, aren't you? I... I have not betrayed you, and I could never live without the woman of my life: you, Cris."

"And the fact that you slept with Jacqueline is because I'm the woman of your life?"

"I didn't sleep with her! If you look at the camera recordings you'll find it's all her fault! Tell me you looked at them, please!".

"To hurt me even more? No thanks. I am the most powerful and rich woman in history, I can live very well without a husband. Or have as many as I want. Now sign, so this whole thing will be over and you will be like carbon-14: decaying."

Kevin began to cry, tears wet her mask, begged her: " _Cris, please ... I love you ..._ ”

“ _Too late. You shouldn't have cheated on me. Now get lost._ ”

" _I didn't cheat on you! I would nev—"_

” _Stop this childish behaviour. I cannot bear this shit again. You lost me, Kevin. And you'll never find me, never again. Farwell._ ”

_"Wait!_ " Kevin took her by un arm, the mask no longer had it on his face, and his blue eyes overflowed with tears: "Please look at those recordings, even for a second, and then I promise you will never see me again! But please do this as the last act of our marriage!"

She snorted soundly, rolled her eyes and gestured, detaching herself from her husband, took her tablet and looked at those recordings: it twisted her heart. Warm tears came down from her eyes, curled up and wept. But she wept at the pain she had felt seeing her husband in bed with another woman... and also because he was right. She had become a hyena for no reason. She got up from the large bed and went to the writing room, took the divorce papers, turned to her husband and tore up the sheets: "I'm sorry, my love. It's just that you're the other half of my soul, and seeing that scene broke my heart and," Kevin kissed her, it wasn't time to talk. When they broke off because of the need for air, Cris said again through tears: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry ...!".

"I'm sorry I made you suffer so much..." Kevin put his head in the hollow of her neck, and gave her a passionate kiss. She approved that gesture with an expression of intense pleasure. She squeezed him more to herself and tightened her legs around his waist. But it was Kevin who asked, "But we didn't say that we-- " she put a finger on his lips and replied:

"Shh... now I will make you understand why you can never betray me ... this will be the best night of our lives ...” and tightened her legs more, clasped her arms around Kevin's neck and kissed him eagerly. He fell on the bed while his wife tore off his pants, and finally began to ... meet.


	14. Hot-blooded

Paris resolved all the previous issues that the two young spouses had had. And more importantly, it confirmed their love. The concrete evidence? She had put the rings back, a symbol of her loyalty to her husband. And, perhaps because of the romantic atmosphere, perhaps because of the trauma she had finally overcome due to childbirth, Cris had finally decided to cut her hair. She had gone to the most famous hairdresser in Paris and had cut her hair in a helmet, they arrived a little before the shoulders, without fringe and very smooth. After that, they decided to return to Japan, mainly because there was only one day left to the semi-finals.

David was delighted that his dad had joined them, despite not knowing why his mom had cried so much, or why they left so fast, without luggage, but now everything had adjusted, and he was happy like that. Through mom's transporter they had already returned home and, what's more, Uncle Liam and Uncle Joseph had asked him to keep them company in the lab, and he immediately said yes, especially since the lab had so many fun things! They made him do a lot of beautiful games!

In fact, little David couldn't have known that Liam and Joseph just wanted to keep him away from the discussion that would soon be between his parents and Jacqueline, because if he knew it he would start asking so many questions that it would be really hard to answer. And they wanted to preserve its purity and candour.

So, while the little one at home was having fun in the lab, the Mask – along with Mantaro – were teaming Jacqueline. Cris had Kevin promise herself that he wouldn't talk, she wanted to interact with her friend. Especially because she knew her husband, he could have reacted in an unthinkable way. And it was better not to create any more problems at that time.

However, which was really curious, it was not the person who was directly interested in asking questions, but the brother. Mantaro, most likely, was moved by a deep disappointment. It was clear that he had feelings for Jacqueline, whether it was because of her body or character he was still uncertain, but after what she had done these feelings, as they were born, they died out. Now his gaze was cold and cynical, of those who wanted answers but who still would not forgive. And Jacqueline, seeing that look, was told that once again her friend was right, when she confided to her that her brother would rather not love any woman than make her suffer. "Do you really love her so much, Mantaro? So much so that you no longer have feelings for someone for whom you previously thought you had even a small part of affection? I really believe that I will never understand your bond ... maybe it's better like this, we won't see each other again, I'm sure" thought Jacqueline, before the prince opened his mouth:

"You may know what you've come up with? Why the hell did you do that, Jacqueline?! Did you know they're married, and yet-"

The redhead spoke looking at the floor, shame was devouring her soul: "I did it because I didn't think they were really married! I... I didn't want to believe that your sister, _the one who calculates even the slightest probability of a volcanic eruption in the desert_ , could have made a similar head shot and marry that Kevin Mask thug! Not... it wasn't possible, you know?! And... and instead I was wrong, I ... I was stupid, forgive me." she turned her head to the side, continuing to look down.

Cris left her husband's arm and approached her friend, leaned forward to look her in the eye and said, "I've already forgiven you, Jackie. Your behavior was absolutely _rational_. You were driven by the childhood trauma you suffered. In fact, it was your degenerate childhood that made you act like this. Having not had a female figure in your childhood, you have always tried to emulate the male subjects around you, since in chojin culture females are seen as a degeneration of the species, and for this reason in ancient times Chojin girls were killed or made human; as a result of this lack, your subconscious has always projected on me the expectations you have always had of a maternal relationship. That's why, when I told you that I was marrying Kevin – the person you wanted to establish a social contract with for reproductive purposes – you didn't believe it, because you believed that your maternal surrogate was competing with you. It was _logical_ that you were trying to seduce my husband, you wanted to have concrete proof that you were wrong but, banging against the truth, you should now be at the mercy of an emotional storm. In a way, you could say that your monomania of envy generated all this. But now that you've accepted reality, your psychic problems must have almost completely solved themselves," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leading her husband to smile under the mask – " _Sweet revenge_ " Kevin thought — and Mantaro to turn his eyes.

The most appalled of the three was Jacqueline, who felt tears streaming down her face as she looked her friend in the eye. She was smiling at her. At that moment she felt herself die, her heart was beating tremendously in her throat. Had... had she really analyzed her psychological picture as if nothing had happened? Did she really say those things on her account without thinking twice? She wanted to answer her, whatever would be fine, but she went on: "And just to be sure ..." she approached her husband and kissed him suddenly "... He's my man. Is that clear?”

Mantaro, perhaps because moved to pity by what his sister said towards Jacqueline, intervened, saying: "Big sister, you will not expect an answer, I hope! After everything you told her, after practically analyzing her psychological picture, do you want an answer? Don't you think she already feels guilty about what she did?"

Jacqueline heard those words and found the courage to say: "No, Mantaro, it was my fault. I deserved those words, because they're the truth. Your sister's right, part of me has always envied her. And how couldn't I? She had achieved everything from life: beauty, intelligence, fame, wealth, an unprecedented economic empire, great friends and a brother who adored her, if she had also obtained one of the men I would have liked to know ... I couldn't have made it. And in fact, I couldn't accept reality, that's why I behaved like this. – finally she found the courage to look Mr and Mrs Mask in the eye – I owe you my heartfelt apologies. Especially to you, Kevin, what I tried to do was reprehensible to say the least and it won't happen again. I hope you can forgive me someday."

Kevin still felt the bile burning in his stomach, by now Jacqueline had become like smoke in his eyes, especially since his wife had signed the divorce papers for real, but Cris shook his hand, so he replied: "IfI have to be honest, your only presence here sends me into excretion. However, I have promised to be a better man, so I will try, in time, to forgive you. It wasn't so much your behavior, it was what it entailed. But now I don't want to talk about it anymore." his voice was as cold as when he fought in the ring.

Jacqueline felt a tremble pervading her body: "O-Of course, I understand. I'm taking the trouble off." and she left, while Kevin was still kissing his wife – he wanted the redhead to get that image in her mind – and Mantaro shook his head in dissent. He understood why those two were married. They were both hot-blooded.

Meanwhile, there were two other people waiting for the two participants in the Chojin tournament to return, and these two people were their coaches. Meat was getting used to that huge, futuristic house by now, but Chloe didn't seem comfortable at all amid all that luxury and futuristic technology. Or did it just bother him about Meat's presence? Whatever the answer, that awkward silence that had been created put Meat on the ropes. Until, much to the surprise of the little alien, it was the coach himself masked in blue and white who spoke: "I hope my presence does not disturb. I don't usually come here to ask about Kevin when I know he's at his wife's, but he told me he'd just spend the night with her and their son, instead he didn't come back this morning and he doesn't answer my phone... I don't want him to give up the tournament."

"Not ... I don't think your presence is disturbing. – began Meat embarrassed – And anyway ... I did not believe that I was aware of their union, I ... I was not even aware of the existence of Mantaro's sister." he looked down to the left, holding his hands on his knees.

Chloe went on, on the one hand he felt like a worm because Meat knew him really well: "If I have to be honest, Kevin didn't tell me right away. For the first three months of cohabitation he always asked me to have two free days in order to have a little fun, and I only consented there because I did not want to immediately break the relationship ... however, one evening I passed by chance in front of his room and heard someone calling him "daddy" and someone else "love" ... I suspected and decided to follow him during one of his free evenings. I found out he had a son and a girlfriend, but I didn't tell him anything. I also found out that she was holding the baby and they were traveling often. After qualifying we moved here to Tokyo and that's when he told me the truth. I certainly could not imagine that he had married so young and already had a son, but I could not imagine that he was married to Mantaro's sister ... that did leave me puzzled. On the other hand, that time I spied on them I saw her from behind, and what's more, she wore a hat and sunglasses ...”

Meat winked: "So you were aware of her existence? You know, not even on the net did I find information about their connection... of course, I know that she is his adoptive sister, but that does not detract from the fact that they should have written it at least by the Kinniku crown ... instead, nothing ... as if they were ashamed of her."

Chloe, strangely enough, laughed: "Oh, they're not ashamed of her at all. It was she who asked not to put information about her family, not even from the crown ... she has a task force that erases and blocks anyone who tries to disclose any aspect of their private life. At least, that's what Kevin told me. And to answer the first question ... an old friend who knew Kinnikuman well had told me about it. I'm sorry that-"

At that moment Jacques interrupted the conversation, accompanying Kevin and Mantaro to their respective coaches: "I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation, gentlemen, but your students are here. – then he turned to the two brothers-in-law – I am happy that everything was resolved in the best way, gentlemen, because Miss Cristiana would no longer have been the same if that success had turned out to be true, which it certainly was not. Mr. Kevin, do you want me to accompany you to the exit?"

"No, Jacques, don't worry. Thank you." Kevin looked at Mantaro "See if you could make the final, I bet with my wife that I would inflate you like a paw."

Mantaro countered: "And Cris calculated my chances of winning the final: they're pretty high."

"Bah, I've always preferred real life to calculating probabilities. Now it's time to go, I only have one day to train properly. Until then, Mantaro, be careful. I'm going to wear that belt."

Mantaro laughed with his arms folded: "As far as I'm concerned, what needs to be careful is you, Kevin. And not to me, but to my sister." but then they both gave each other an arm and hugged each other: "Don't worry about David, I'll take care of him."

"I'm sure of it," and Kevin walked away with Chloe.

Meat had gasped for that exchange of jokes and gestures, so he approached his pupil looking at him stunned. Mantaro looked at him and asked, "Well, what is it?"

"I remind you that Kevin is your opponent, Nisei."

"Oh, I know, don't worry. – responded in a chilling voice, which then came back warm – But I believe that what happened has united us a little more. Now, come on, let's go! I have a tournament to win and a belt to wear!", and, putting Meat on his shoulders, he headed to the gym.

Too bad he still didn't know what jokes fate had prepared for them.


	15. A well-oiled farce

That day was really here. That match was really here. He would face one of the tournament's strongest wrestlers, Ricardo, who had sent Jade to intensive care, to decide which of the two would make it to the finals. Mantaro felt his skin rekindle with excitement and tension. He could not afford to fail at all, especially since he had promised that he would bring the Chojin Crown home, to Planet Kinniku; but mainly because he wanted his nephew to be proud of him, he wanted to make him happy and wanted to be a role model for him. Mantaro simply wanted to improve himself.

There was, however, a woodworm that was devouring his mind: he wanted to make both his nephew and Kevin happy. And he knew the only way to make Kevin happy was to lose the final to him. But he couldn't afford to lose the final of the tournament, not least because his sister would immediately realize that he had chosen to let Kevin win to see him happy, and that would make her angry. Because Cristiana, willing or not, loved justice and could not stand that someone – or, rather, would not have endured Mantaro losing the final on purpose.

On the other hand, since she came back and he had gone to live with her, they had come back to talk a lot, as they did when they were children. Already... Mantaro still remembered how his sister pretended he couldn't learn Kinniku for several years, only to be with him before leaving... how she spoke to him in Italian and how he loved the musicality of that language ... of how they looked at the stars outside their window, when they were still sleeping together, hypothesized what might have been out there, beyond the lights of the stars and the darkness of the universe ... but, above all, he remembered how they enjoyed science and wrestling, because his sister wanted to fight, but she knew that her duty, her destiny was another.

"But what is my true destiny? Big sister, if only you could calculate it as you calculate the occurrence of events ... maybe I would not feel so empty and incomplete, without a purpose in life ... maybe what I do in life I would start to feel mine, and I would start to feel alive ... I feel like I'm trapped in an illusion... at least, except when I'm with you in the lab and with David" sighed inwardly "Ah, how much I would like to tell her these things ... Maybe... maybe I could tell her after the finals, I'm sure she'll give me the right advice. Yes, she always did and will do it again" he looked in the mirror "Now it is better to go ... it's my thing soon"

"What are you thinking, Nisei?" asked Meat, ready with the bucket with water and sponge inside, in case Mantaro could no longer move on. But his father before him had never thrown in the towel, and Mantaro would do the same thing. But this was Meat's belief. 'I hope you're not brooding about too many things, you know it's important to have a clear mind free from any worries as you struggle. I hope you're ready, Ricardo is a tough opponent."

Mantaro turned around and smiled at his coach: "I know. And I'm going to win. I want to do it for Jade, for my nephew and for me. I want to win because that belt belongs rightly to the Kinnikus. But now I don't want to mount my head too much, although with Cris's new training, her patterns and research I could win with my eyes closed. – Mantaro noticed Meat's face – B-But your advice and analysis are also brilliant! On the contrary—"

Meat sighed, "Nisei, you don't have to try to sweeten my pill. I know your sister is a lot more brilliant than I am, I've noticed, and I'm smart enough to realize it on my own. I know you have a strong bond and I've also learned to accept how much you love her, I'm smart enough to understand. But now is not the time to talk about these things. We have to focus on the match, nothing more." he heard knocking on the door "Let's go." Mantaro approached him and Meat clenched his wrist: "Come on, Nisei. I know you're going to make it."

Mantaro smiled shyly and then went out. He would fight on the Tokyo Tower, which had been modified and was now open like a flower, at the center of which was the ring. That change, in such a short time, had certainly been "aided" by his sister's money. As soon as he got into the ring he noticed Rinko and her friends were there... he didn't care about Rinko anymore. He was never interested in her, actually. Her behavior had a love with his sister, which is why he got in love with it. But now she, to him, was the purest indifference. He got into the ring. Then came his challenger. He entered a coffin by his followers. But he didn't care that much about that entrance. He just wanted to win as fast as he could.

When Ricardo posed in the ring and presentations were made, Jacqueline and Ikimon showed the peculiarity of that encounter: a giant X with blades of swords that covered it in full. It was a Punishment X Match. For a nanosecond Mantaro thought that this was a kind of revenge by Jacqueline against her sister and Ikimon's way of wanting him out of the tournament. But he would have both of them believed again. You didn't challenge a Kinniku without expecting a counteroffensive.

"They say you've changed a lot... according to some it's because you realized we're in the semi-finals, I think it's just a mask, you know? A setup to look stronger than you really are...” Ricardo spat at him as the gong sounded.

Mantaro looked at him, peered at the X with blades for a moment and then replied: "Don't worry, both answers are wrong. But I don't think you care about that. We're here to fight, right?", and as he nodded to Meat telling him not to underestimate his opponent, he continued: "And then, if I'm not mistaken, here, the one with the double personality, it's you."

Mantaro unbalanced Ricardo, who slipped under the prince's legs, but Mantaro jumped into the air and used x blades to perform a body slam on the Brazilian, who had risen but got caught off guard. Mantaro then threw it at the X with brute force: the blades penetrated Ricardo's body, but he did not break down at all, on the contrary. The good boy's armor broke and his real body came out, evil chojin's. But it almost seemed as if the prince had done it on purpose, as if hoping for that breakup.

"Tsk, why are you laughing? I'm going to laugh now, you know? Aren't you afraid that the blood flowing through my veins might awaken?"

"Oh, but I hope so. You see, you're one of the bad guys, and as such, I have a duty to stop you. I have studied you so much these days ... it was a shame to see your fake side, wasn't it? That's why I threw you against the X, to show everyone how determined I am to win."

Ricardo, meanwhile, had launched himself at him: "Bah! Good, bad ... what matters is to win, and the winner is always right!", and threw Mantaro against the blades. The prince let himself be launched, but he rotated his body and, when he crashed into the blades, hardly a drop of blood came out: he had arranged himself so that the blades touched only the pressure points, that's why he bled little or nothing.

Jacqueline screamed from the glass box where she was inside with her father and brother: "No! No, that's not it! I want to see more blood! More brutality! More cruelty!”

Mantaro replied acid, while performing a choke slam on Ricardo who was blocked at the last: "A good match is not given by the amount of blood shed, but by the quality of the moves that the two wrestlers exchange! It is mutual respect that makes an exciting encounter! Stop this caveman obsession!".

"What did he say to me?" exclaimed the redhead, not expecting an answer. But she knew, in her heart, that Mantaro was right. After that exchange of jokes she silently looked at the rest of the match. After four minutes, Ricardo was able to injure Mantaro with the X.

"Where are the fine words now? Have you already finished peacocking?", but then Ricardo left his grip on Mantaro because he saw his former master. The problem was that his master had died, he had killed him in training.

Mantaro noticed and leveraged his arms, taking Ricardo and performing a suplex against the sharp blades. It wasn't like he was so wild, but he wanted to finish the fight as soon as possible, taking full advantage of what his sister had told him. And then, that day was as cold as hell, soon it would even snow, so it was better to be fast. The problem was Ricardo was really a tough guy.

Ricardo used his bracelet, clutching it around Mantaro's neck, then threw him at the X another time. Crushed he had to have more wounds to make them bleed even more. Mantaro, with a howl of war, leveraged and blocked Ricardo, so that he had only one free arm and one leg. But he knew he had to stop the bleeding of his wounds. He threw Ricardo back at the X, while he tore his sleeves to cover his wounds, but the Brazilian used his armband and ended up him against the X. Mantaro was exhausted at that point, not for the execution of the moves but for the amount of blood lost. So, he decided it was a good time to use the KKD and close the meeting.

"They say that neither your father nor you have ever lost, after activating the fire ... but I will be the first to rewrite history!", and so saying Ricardo jumped into the air with Mantaro, blocking him in his deadliest move: the Brazilian coconut split.

"Do you know why they call me Kid Muscle?"

"Because you're the prince of Planet Muscle, right?"

"No! Because it's all about muscles!", Mantaro exclaimed, before his muscles swelled beyond imagination, breaking almost entirely his costume. He freed himself from the grip and performed his Muscle Millenium: the match ended.

Jacqueline went into the ring with her family but, as Ikimon refused to play the gong, as Ricardo's face frightened him, she thought of it, who said, "This is neither the face of an artist of submissions nor that of a lord of evil. It's just the face of a total loser." and she played the gong. Mantaro was the first to enter the final, after a match that lasted sixteen minutes and thirty-two seconds.

Meat jumped into Mantaro's happy arms, but Jacques' voice-over interrupted the festivities: "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Mantaro and Mr. Meat, but Mr. Mantaro should come home with me now. Your sister requires your presence."

"Of course, I understand. Meat, can you sit here and watch Kevin's match? I want to know what his best moves are so I can best prepare for the final. I'm sure he'll win."

Meat nodded, "Sure."

Mantaro got out of the ring, while Jacques handed him a thermal blanket to cover himself: "Brilliant encounter, Mr. Mantaro. I wish your sister had been here to see you. She would have loved it."

Mantaro smiled: "I'm sure. Now let's go." and walked along with the butler, who supported him. He wonder why his sister wanted him to come home right away. That something had happened? Then he should have hurryed, he didn't want the situation to get any worse.

"Jacques, has anything happened in particular? I know Cris would never send you to pick me up for no specific reason. Was there an accident in the lab?" asked Mantaro, as the butler calmly drove through the streets of Tokyo. Cris's house was about ten minutes from the stadium where the last match was played.

Jacques smiled, looking at Mantaro in the mirror: "No, young man. Only, Mr. David was not very well and asked for his presence."

Mantaro heard those words, it seemed to him the most serious problem in the whole universe: "David is not well?! Why didn't you say that right away?! Press on the accelerator, don't - indeed, no, stop in front of that toy store. I'll do it in a flash." and Mantaro almost jumped out of the car to enter the toy store. He came in and bought a huge teddy bear. It must have been five feet tall by three inches wide. Jacques waited for him outside the car, opened the trunk without speaking and put the puppet in place. They got back in the car and went home.

"It's a very sweet thing that he cares about his nephew, young lord," he began, as they stood at the traffic lights "I'm sure Mr. David will love it. – then looked at Mantaro and asked, serious – Are you feeling well, young man? The injuries you sustained are quite serious, are you sure you don't want to be visited by Young Men Liam and Joseph before you go to see his nephew?"

Mantaro shook his head: "No, don't worry about me, Jacques. My wounds have almost completely healed. Thanks to Cris' new diet and training, my healing ability has improved a lot. I'll be like new in no time at all."

The French nodded: "As you wish, young man." he parked the car, opened the door to Mantaro and then opened the trunk. Mantaro took the puppet and ran up to his nephew. Jacques simply smiled: he was glad he was such an uncle. There weren't many of them around.

Mantaro arrived in his nephew's room, snapped the door, holding the giant plush with his right arm, and exclaimed, "David, honey, Uncle Mantaro is here! Jacques told me that you felt bad ... - entered the room, noting that his sister was under the covers along with David- ... how are you now? Look what I took from you to make you feel a little better!" and handed him the puppet, which David took with a smile and widened his arms.

"I think Uncle Mantaro is overflowing for you, huh, my little one?" asked his mother rhetorically, stroking his son's blond-haired head and giving him a kiss in the forehead; then she turned to her brother: "You shouldn't have bothered so much, Mantaro ... especially after the match. – she got out of bed, observing her brother's wounds – Mh ... judging by the regenerative capacity, you must have lost a lot of blood ... It's good for you to rest. If you feel weak or light-headed, call us and we'll give you an e-transfusion."

But her brother blocked her with one hand: "Quiet, big sister, I'm fine. I just want to know how my nephew is, that's all."

It was David, incredibly, who replied: "See, Uncle... first I didn't feel well and I also vomited and then my fever went up but mom was very good and spent all her time with me!' he concluded smilingly.

Mantaro sat on the bed, stroked his nephew and asked him, with two worried eyes: "Are you sure you're feeling better now, honey?"

"Yes, uncle!", he nodded forcefully, then asked him, "How was the match, uncle? Did you win?"

Mantaro smiled, "Of course I won, honey." hugged his nephew, whispering at him, "And I promise you I'll win the final too. But, now, let's talk about more important things: do you want a nice hot chocolate?"

Cris noted – like Mantaro – that her son was returning greenish, so she replied: "Maybe later." but it was Mantaro who took the basket to make his nephew vomit,while his mother massaged him on the back: "Oh, my darling ... Excuse me if I had to use the electron carrier to go to Paris, next time we use the jet, all right? – she saw that her brother looked at her question, so she explained – Since he is still small, this is a side effect of electronic transport ... reached five years old it will fade."

"I understand." David raised his head and, as Cris cleaned his mouth, Mantaro continued: "Let's do this, Davidino, while Cris takes you to brush your teeth I ask Jacques to make you a nice chocolate, okay? And then I'm here with you as long as you want...' gave him a kiss in the forehead and went down to the third floor, where there was the kitchen.

He found Jacques intent on preparing dinner, as by now six o'clock had passed for a long time, and asked him, "Jacques, excuse me if I bother you, but could you make a hot chocolate for David?"

"Certainly, young man. " he answered, slicing a piece of meat. Then he turned: "Soon Mr. Kevin should arrive. The young lady had asked me to tell her husband about his son's malaise. But, behold, there's one thing you should know."

Mantaro did not understand: "What? I already know Kevin's overprotective of David, I'm ready for any scenario."

Jacques shook his head: "No, young man, it's about your brother-in-law’s match. You see, Mr. Kevin won, but ... - he saw Mantaro's gaze - ... he showed himself brutal with his opponent, throwing him down from the Skycube ring from thirty meters high ... the opponent would have broken to the ground if Mr. Meat had not saved him in extremis. But as a result, he fractured his bones and tendons and is now in hospital."

Mantaro had to sit at the table to charge the blow: "W-What? And... and I wasn't there, with him ... I was here...' tears began to pinch his eyes "What did I do ..."

Jacques put a hand on his shoulder: "Don't blame yourself, young man, you couldn't have done anything. Please don't discuss this with Mr. Kevin right now, you can discuss it in three days in the ring. Are you okay with this?""

Mantaro shook Jacques' hand as if to seek comfort, replying: "Yes." and at that moment, Kevin broke into the room, followed by his coach.

He was breathless. And not for the match, which had been very much felt anyway, but because he had raced to reach his son. His David had been sick and he had not been by his side, but he was in a ring fighting a complete stranger. At that moment, he felt the worst father of all. "Where's David? How's he doing?'

Jacques replied, because he noticed that Mantaro had the eyes of a devil: "His son is in his room with the young lady. Mr. Mantaro went to see him and now he's here because he's waiting for the hot chocolate to take to his nephew."

Kevin looked at Mantaro: "Was David very bad, Mantaro?"

Mantaro made a good face to bad game and pretended not to know what he had done to Meat: "Here ... shortly after I was in the room with him and Cris, he threw up again, but my sister says it's because of the electron transmitter, as he's too small... uh, how was the match?"

Kevin was almost caught off guard by that question: "Well. I won, so don't run away on finals day, otherwise I won't be able to win the bet I made with my wife."

Mantaro's gaze became chilling, but Kevin did not understand why: "Don't worry, you're going to lose that bet anyway. – then the usual Mantaro came back – I think you'd better go to your son, I bet he'll be very happy to see you. And most importantly, knowing that you won too."

Kevin smiled under the mask and went to his son. Chloe did to talk but Mantaro said, _"Warsman,_ can I ask you something?"

Chloe froze. How did he know about his true identity? Still, he had been very careful! Kevin didn't suspect in the slightest who he really was... or at least, until that day.

"If you're wondering how I know, well, Cris told me. The first time she saw you, she knew right away that it was you, since she never forgot you. – he stood up – I don't want to know why you're doing it, I just want to ask you why you let something like this happen to Meat. I thought you loved him."

"But I do, Mantaro."

Mantaro shook his head: "No. Because if you really loved him, then you'd have taken Turbinski, since he's Russian too. But you didn't. I think my mother told me a little fictional story about you at this point. A real disappointment." but the speech fell short there, as Kevin had come down again.

"Jacques, is chocolate ready?" he asked the butler, who immediately handed it to him. Then he told Mantaro: "The teddy bear you gave him is really beautiful, Mantaro, David already loves it. Thank you for that--"

"Excuse me, I have work to do in the lab," and he left, not letting Kevin finish. If he'd been there a little longer, he'd have exploded.

"But what's he taking from him? Jacques, do you know anything about it?"

"I just think the young man wants to clear his mind for a second, Mr. Kevin, that's all. Don't worry. Go to your son now, because I remind you that these last three days are crucial for you, so you'd better spend these last few minutes with your son, before you go home with your coach."

"Right." and Kevin went back upstairs. Warsman said nothing about Mantaro Mantaro knowing what had happened. He understood that he had to keep that secret like his butler, his wife and his pupil's brother-in-law kept his. But in three days everything would have worked out in the best way. With Kevin's victory and the end of that well-oiled farce. He just had to wait a little longer.


	16. Inner disagreement

It wasn't uncommon for them to work at night. Indeed. By now it had almost become an unwritten norm of the laboratory, standing up late to conclude the research. Liam and Joseph had always lived with Cris, from the first moment they had abandoned their family to pursue their dreams until they had embarked on that three-month mission to study the new Mantaro, the one who had spent part of his adolescence under heavy psychological trauma. Kevin didn't mind the fact that the two of them, ex-boyfriends and best friends of his wife – as well as his – lived there. It was one of many compromises he had accepted when he decided to ask her hand. But the handsome Briton knew their story well, which is why he was grateful to them that they lived there. They could keep his wife human.

It wasn't even strange that they took pills to stay awake. It was a chemical invented by them during the second year of travel, they had decided to create that compound because they could not waste time, they absolutely had to find all the care they had set themselves. That's why they created that chemical compound that released the hormones and compounds needed to trick the brain and body into believing that they had slept eight hours. But none of that never happened. And because that compound increased the state of wakefulness and attention, many discoveries were made at night.

And right now, they were conducting ancillary research for one of their most important goals. That research had been one of the first to start, and it was also the one that had lasted for the most time. But this research, unlike others, could have lasted for many, many more years. But they would do everything they could to make the search look perfect.

"Do you think we're close to discovering the interaction between DNA bases in mitochondria? If Cris' intuition is correct, we'd be one step away from finding the cure. And that makes me happy beyond belief," Liam began, turning from the microscope to see his friend in the face.

Joseph also turned around, replying, "I hope so. If we could figure out how DNA correction mechanisms go awry, we'd be one step away from finishing the research. Then we should put the pieces together and sum up. Of course, then we should find a mechanism that blocks these mistakes, but after the big one is done, everything will be downhill, right?"

Liam didn't have time to answer why Ayo interrupted them, saying, "Hey, how's it going? I'm waiting for the DNA I put in the amebes to react. I want to see if your insights are correct. Sometimes, you know, I always feel a step back to you...” Admitted. She knew there was no reason to lie to them, they were very rational and always had the right advice.

Liam and Joseph turned to look at her, and Liam replied: "I think the problem is not your academic attitude, but the fact that you joined the team when we were already working on this research for three years. But don't worry, your help is critical, and you know it. – he heard the sound that indicated that Ayo's work was ready – I believe your amebes are ready."

"Yes." Ayo smiled and returned to work. Liam and Joseph returned to their microscopes. They spent an entire hour in total silence, but then it was broken by Liam, who told Joseph:

"I'm going to go get the research papers in Cris's studio. With these results and the ones we have, we can plot a graph and calculate the incidences. We're close," he smiled.

Joseph had almost shiny eyes: "Yes, we are close." and then saw his friend disappear, leaving the lab.

Liam walked down the aisles, arriving in front of Cris's office. His tension and emotion were palpable. If they had crossed that data and the delta had been greater than ten, then the search would have been correct and they would finally have been one step away from crowning their dream. His mother would be proud of him, as always, and maybe his father would come back and talk to him. Since he discovered that he had become human and lied to him, because he had not gone abroad to train, but had traveled the world and the universe with Cris and had become a doctor of universal renown, his father no longer spoke to him. His mother had told him he no longer wanted to hear from him, and his relatives were told he was dead. He tried not to think about it and walked into the office.

Only three people were allowed to enter Cris's office, excluding her. Him, Joseph and Jacques. They were the only people she trusted because of their work rigor. After crossing the threshold, he looked round. The office had been completely squashed. Cris probably didn't know, because after they had returned from Paris she had chosen to spend time with her family and, the next day, she had been all the time by her son's side, as he didn’t feel good. So yes, she was unaware of everything. Liam realized it was Jacqueline's fault.

He took a deep breath. Before thinking about the worst, he had to check the hypotheses. He decided to fix the documents. But when he was done, his suspicions became pure terror. His already white complexion turned pale. He returned tremblingly to the lab. His friends and colleagues realized something was wrong. He let himself go to a desperate embrace with Joseph, crying like he had never done. He trembled in shock. Camille realized that she had to call Cris immediately, which is why she ran out of the lab like a fortuitous despite her heels.

When she arrived in front of her employer's room she did not knock, but opened it directly. She noticed how she was sleeping holding her son tight to her chest. Seeing that scene shook her heart, but she knew she had to operate for the greater good. She couldn't let the work of a lifetime be lost. Nor that Liam was so destroyed.

She came up near the bed, put a hand on her boss' shoulder and then shook her: "Cris ... Cris, wake up, please. Something terrible happened."

If Cristiana was asleep before, she now opened her eyes. She looked at Camille, then turned to look at her son again. She gave him a kiss on the forehead. David, at that sweet touch, immediately awoke. His mother told him, "Honey, mommy has to go to work. I'm taking you to Uncle Mantaro, all right?" and he nodded. Cristiana took her son to her brother, then returned to her room. She didn't even speak, she made a sign to Camille with her head to go back to the lab.

She walked as if she already knew what had happened. She didn't seem to be afraid, but sad. As soon as she entered her lab, where she had experienced the best and worst moments of her life, she saw one of her closest friends crying on that sofa on which she had told them she was expecting a baby. 'Liam...' said only, when she was close to him.

Liam looked at her, got up and then squeezed her hard, saying among the sobs: "It's ... it's all gone, Cris ... experiments ... search drawings ... the data ... the observations ... All. Is... it's all destroyed ... the dream of a lifetime ... reduced to smoke ... why ...?!'

"Liam, calm down, breathe. – looked at him softly – What happened?" made him sit because he trembled like a leaf.

He put his hands on his face: "I am ... I walked into your office to take the research we did for genetic mutation studies because... because we had to cross the data, since we had the latest results but ... but when I walked in your office was sub-square and... and I put it in place but that search, with all the documents, was destroyed and ... I'm sure it was Jacqueline because she... she lost an earring." he wept even more: "But how do you love her?! She's ruined your life too many times already, Cris!”

Cristiana made it as if she had not heard the last question: "Let's leave immediately. Even though it took us seven years to collect all that data, now that we know what we need, we're going to do it faster. I can't tell you how long our trip will last, but for now it will last a few days. When we have taken the first samples we will come back here and discuss the best we can do. Only Liam and Joseph will come with me, I want you to stay here and do the experiments that can be performed here in the lab," she concluded, addressing her friends and employees.

"But... I thought you wanted to see the final of the Tournament ... your husband and brother-"

"Don't worry, Jojo, I'll be with them with my heart. And then, it would be a fight too anxiety-agenous for me, it might prove my calculations wrong. And I couldn't stand a fight between my husband and my brother, I don't want to see them bloodthirsty against each other ... I'm going to get ready and communicate everything to Jacques. Make yourself ready. The positron emission wave conveyor is always ready. Please also prepare all the tools we need. The first stop is the Sima Humboldt. I recommend you, ready for anything." and then went out.

She knocked at the door of Jacques's chamber. Because she knew her butler had been trained in special forces, she knew he was able to wake up to the slightest noise deemed suspicious. That's why it took exactly three seconds to open the door. _"Mademoiselle,_ what happened? Does Mr. David feel ill?"

Cris snorted, the tension in her body was showing himself with tears in her battered eyes: "No, maybe, it would have been better ... the ... the most important research I have ever worked on, the one for which I spent seven years of my life, was destroyed because of Jacqueline and ... Me, Joseph and Liam leave immediately. For... please tell Mantaro and David, I don't want to upset them by showing me in this state ... we will not stay away much, a few days, we will probably come back three days after the final of the tournament and ... please take care of my son and my brother." Jacques did not answer but hugged her in a snap. She cried. Then she smiled, wiped away tears and continued: "Thank you. Now... now I'm going to get ready. But... but first I want to write to Mantaro that he can be in touch with me whenever he wants through the lab code. Thank you again." and went away.

She quickly wrote the note for her brother, which was slipped under his door, then took her instruments and headed to the private closet where all her equipment was. She took a small black cube, pressed it and immediately appeared on her body her suit: snug, completely black, formed by nanites. She was wearing black gloves, knee-high boots and had other contraption on his legs and belt. The headset would activate when she needed it. She then went to put on her contact lenses, put on makeup and comb. She looked in the mirror and sighed. Her friends had already prepared the necessary to stay away for a week. Then she walked out of the room. Direction: Venezuela.

Mantaro awoke feeling his nephew's breath on his chest. He watched him sleep blissful and felt his heart burst with love. He never thought such an angel could exist and, more importantly, he could never have thought that he might have him for nephew. He stroked him. At that moment, it seemed to him that all the problems of the world and its being had disintegrated as an asteroid disintegrates that comes into contact with the Earth's atmosphere. He gently squeezed him into his strong arms, then gently moved him to the bed and got up to go to the bathroom.

On the short way that separated the bed from his private bathroom, he noticed the note left by his sister. He took it, went to the bathroom and read it. It was a few lines. Her sister's small, sinuous writing seemed agitated. It said: " _Joseph, Liam and I had to leave immediately tonight due to serious work problems. We will stay a maximum of six days, we plan to return three days after the final of the tournament. Be that as it may, you can always contact me through your lab ID number. The sensor I gave you serves for that. Camille and the others will explain everything to you if you want. Jacques will explain everything to you and David. I love you."_ Mantaro folded the note and put it in the drawer where he kept the limes for his fingernails. He put two fingers on the nasal septum, clutching it, and atoned deeply. Not exactly the good morning he expected. He sighed again and decided to freshen up.

While washing his face – although it was more correct to say mask – he thought that unexpected did not take us. He needed his sister's advice. Cris had not only revolutionized the way he fought, turning him into a real Chojin, but she was also the only one who could coach him. According to the rules of the Tournament, the coach had to have the same nationality. And only his sister had Kinniku nationality. Of course, it was also true that maybe she would not accept because it meant going against her husband, but maybe she was aware of what he had told Meat and ... ah, better not get too much trouble in the early morning.

He wiped his face and dressed himself. When he got out of the bathroom, his nephew was awake and waiting for him smiling. "Good morning, Uncle Mantaro! I enjoyed sleeping with you tonight, you're so colder than mom, you know? So I don't feel hot when I sleep!" and laughed. Mantaro tickled him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. David reciprocated with one on his cheek, saying, "I love you, uncle!".

Mantaro embraced him: "Oh, I love you more, tender!", then he wreaked havoc on his hair and went on: "Come on, let's go down for breakfast, Jacques will already be waiting for us!", he rode him on his shoulders and they went down for breakfast.

David, while holding his hands under his uncle's chin, asked him, "Why isn't Meat here?""

Mantaro had to swallow a large toad before replying: "You see, honey, Meat got hurt and now he's in the hospital resting. But don't worry, it will come back stronger than before."

"And do you know how it happened, uncle?"

Fortuna wanted Jacques to hear that discussion because it started near the table where breakfast was set, which is why he took David in his arms and said, "Mr. David, I am sorry to inform you that your mother had to leave immediately for work. She'll be back in about a week."

David's eyes seemed dispassionate, but then he smiled and replied: "Oh, ok ... that means I have more time to spend with uncle! And with you and Dad!".

"That's right, young sir. Please have breakfast now." he sat next to Mantaro and began to eat peacefully, realizing in his heart that something bad must have happened to Meat, if his uncle did not want to talk to him about it.

"Uncle, uncle, in a few days there's the final, isn't there? And you or Dad are going to win, uncle? Can't you both win?"

Mantaro smiled bitterly at that candid question, answering by looking his nephew in the eye: "No, honey, that's not possible. In a knockout wrestling tournament there can be no matches that end in a draw, especially in the final. But I promise you, however it goes, I'm not going to hold a grudge against your super dad, okay? If he wins, it means he was better than me, that's all. But I also promise you that, after I recover, I will take you to the aquarium and get a nice hot chocolate. What do you say, do you like it?"

David lit up his eyes and smiled the same smile that always made Mantaro melt, replying: "Yes, uncle!" and then stood up in his chair and hugged him.

Jacques intervened, saying: "This is a splendid initiative, young sir. Now, Mr. David, would you like to come and watch training? I know it might turn out to be boring, but-”

"No "but", Jacques, David today is ours!" exclaimed Ayo happily, taking him in her arms "True that the most beautiful child in the world wants to have fun with Aunt Ayo, Aunt Camille and Aunt Hinori?"

Mantaro snorted: "Hey, don't cuddle him too much, the only real uncle here, it's me!", and gave his nephew a quick kiss and then headed with Jacques to the gym.

Mantaro prepared himself, changing in his training outfit, but the French, surprisingly, told him: "Now that we are alone, young man, you can talk to me. What plagues you?'

Mantaro sighed, sitting against the ring: "It would be better to say with _does_ _not_ afflict me, Jacques." he passed a hand on his face "Too many things have happened ... too many for me to be able to process them properly. But... but this is not the time."

"It's not just the body that trains, it also trains the mind, and a busy mind will never guarantee success in a fight. Come on, young sir, talk, it's going to be good for you."

Mantaro inhaled deeply, trying to retain the stress accumulated in those days: "When ... When my sister left I entered a state of emotional shock because of the "no" I had told her, because I was aware that my suffering was my cause, but I could not avoid my role as crown prince, how could I leave mom and dad alone? And... and because of this shock, I started behaving exactly like my dad... I said to myself, if everyone respected him, they'd do the same to me, right? I... I had decided to seal away my true self, for without my sister it made no sense to be myself, if she was missing, who was part of me. And so... and so the years passed, I was forced to fight to defend a planet that I did not know and to which I was indifferent and ... and life has always been harder, because I have clashed with reality, with comparisons with dad, with the rebrant for the sport ... I even entered this Tournament to be admired by a girl for whom I now have only indifference. But... but then my big sister came back, and it seemed to me that all the darkness around me had disappeared in an instant. But... but then my heart broke again, learning of my sister's union with Kevin Mask and ... and the fact that I had a nephew. I... I did not hate them, I hated myself because I cut my wings alone, I truncated the most beautiful years of my life to follow imposed duties ... I was not present at my sister's wedding, nor did I immediately know the man of his life, nor did I hold in my arms my newborn nephew ... all because of me. The hatred I feel right now towards myself is so great and strong ... I deprived myself of everything. I didn't have the courage to show my friends the real me, and now I don't even know if they want to be my friends anymore after everything I kept hidden from them ... what's more, I have no idea what they think of me or my sister now. And... and Kevin ... I have always considered him a thug, a bad guy, but knowing that makes my sister happy, that he _loves_ her _,_ that he loves David and that with him he is sweeter than honey ... knowing through David's mouth how great he is as a father makes me want to think that the bad guy is _me,_ that I judged him too quickly without knowing how things are... But... but on the other hand I would like to repay him for everything he has done for me indirectly, for finally giving happiness to my big sister, because he finally has a light that shines in his eyes, and for making me uncle ... but on the other hand, I would like to fill him with punches until I make him unrecognizable for what he told Meat ... And... and I don't know who I am anymore or what I want to do and ... and it's all so confusing... I would just like to scream and cry and run away from all this, in a distant place, where I can finally admire the stars without anyone who can judge me for this passion ...”

Jacques sat next to Mantaro, took a handkerchief and wiped away his tears. He told him: "It's normal to have doubts about yourself, especially after everything that's happened to you. Don't be remorsefully of what you did when you were only eight years old, you were just a child and, what's more, you couldn't imagine what was going to happen, not even the young lady expected to get married so young and have a child. It is normal that you are fighting against Mr. Mask, he has always been a difficult guy to understand, many times I too have misunderstood his attitudes and your sister ran for cover explaining things to me from Kevin's point of view ... I know how hard it can be to accept this new reality, but it seems to me that with Mr. David these problems disappear, right? When you’re with your nephew, it's like you’re praying for Heaven, young man. And I can also understand that right now you are experiencing an inner disagreement, because you have not yet decided whether to be a friend or an enemy of Mr. Kevin ... but at the same time you do not want to hurt your sister, and this is understandable, as is understandable the jealousy you have towards Kevin. I am sure that these days your doubts will clear up and make the best choice ... you know, it's not so bad, Mr. Kevin, after all. It takes a while to open up with other people, like your sister, but after you know him thoroughly you can't help but love him. I am sure that, in time, you will become very good friends."

Mantaro smiled and stood up: "Thank you for listening to me, Jacques. Now I feel a little lighter. And most importantly, I'm ready for this workout. There's only two days to go until the finals. I will give my best, respecting the sport and the opponent. I'm sure I won't regret it."

"I can confirm this to you, Sir," Jacques concluded, standing up and "Come on, we can begin."

Mantaro smiled and jumped into the ring. He was ready for anything, he was ready to win the tournament. But, above all, he was ready to shed light on his doubts. But he still didn't know how much he should understand about himself. And maybe it wasn't good to have any doubts about yourself, but no one understands that except after clarifying their doubts.


	17. Don't be late

It was more unique than rare for Kevin Mask to allow journalists to watch his training, and it was certainly even more incredible to train on a construction site with a demolition ball. Kevin Mask was on one of the highest floors of the skyscraper under construction, while his trainer, Chloe, was driving the wrecking ball, ready to throw it at his pupil to recreate the power of the Muscle Millenium. At Chloe's signal, Kevin threw himself down, taking the wrecking ball in full, but without having an actual move with which to block that mechanical power. The Englishman fell ruinously to the ground, injuring his right thigh.

Chloe, as soon as he saw the incident, came down and ran to his pupil, clearing among the journalists. He knelt next to him and said, "Kevin, you're hurt!" he tore his right sleeve and used that tissue to bandage the wound.

"Not... it is not necessary ...' then he looked at his coach and asked him, "Chloe, why are you doing this for me?"

"I think I've already told you, if I remember correctly. I want to have the honor of coaching tournament champion Chojin," he tied the fabric tightly then got up, turned to reporters and said, "Gentlemen, the open-door session is over. Thank you for your availability." and no journalist spoke, for the simple fact that those two energumeni instilled fear, and they left.

Kevin stood up: "I'm ready to go on. The real Muscle Millenium is much more powerful than a wrecking ball, I'll need to try and try again until I find a way to counter it. I will beat Mantaro, dirt my hands of his blood and finally wear that belt.”

Chloe looked at him: "Well, since you appointed him, I won't be the first to ask, but I'd like to know how you're in relationship now with Mantaro. Since you've revealed your secret to the rest of your family, I'd like to know how you consider him now. I wouldn't want you to start mixing your private life with our goal of winning the Chojin, because that would really be a problem, and you know it."

Kevin looked at him, replying: "I don't ... I'm not mixing my private life with my goal, I would never do that. Nor have I forgotten how much I want to win the Chojin and how much I want to beat him beyond belief, but, you know, you have to know that he has really changed. It's the Mantaro my wife always told me about, but our relationship hasn't changed. The incident that took place two days ago was just a case. I try to be nice because I know how close my wife is to him. That's all."

Chloe looked at him: "I didn't want to imply that you can't be friends, I just wanted to say that if you want to be friends then it's best to start after the end of the Tournament. From what you told me – he cursed mentally because he knew Cris very well – your wife is very rational, so she would have no problem accepting the fact that you two punched each other in the ring, but I wouldn't want Mantaro to misunderstand that kind of bond that you made you feel like you were creating. Of course, we could use it to our advantage, but you also saw how he changed, I don't know if it could be the best choice."

Kevin seemed to light up: "Speaking of this, his new training regimen was designed by Cris, so it's perfect. I don't know if she told him my weaknesses, I don't think so, but I'd like to tell you that we're really against a monster now. A war machine. We also need to rethink our strategy, because I have a serious suspicion that he has a surprise for me at the final." oh, of course, there would have been a surprise, Kevin, too bad you don't know her yet "If he had devised any new moves? I can't afford to fail, not now that I'm one step away from crowning my dream! I have to find a way to counter the Muscle Millenium and then we have to think about the perfect tactic to beat it. I don't have to let him stick. I _don't_ want to let him attack. I've seen how damn good he's improved."

Chloe nodded: "I fully agree. So let's analyze the Muscle Millenium again. – he saw Kevin nod – He throws his opponent into the air, catapults himself into the ropes of the ring to get the right speed, and, detaching himself from the ropes, travels at incredible speed, hitting his opponent with all his bulk and momentum against the ropes. We know his _momentum_ is perfect. And—"

Kevin snapped his fingers: "I think I found a solution. – he started running to get on the skyscraper under construction – Go and operate the wrecking ball, I'll show it to you now!", and then jumped flat. Chloe did what he said and saw his pupil's brilliant solution: they had found a way to counter muscle millenium. Kevin fell to the ground again, but this time he landed well. His coach ran to extend a hand to him. "So, what about me?"

"Brilliant solution, Kevin. In this way Mantaro will have no escape and his Muscle Millenium can be called garbage. Now it's better if we go home, we have our tactics to discuss," the coach concluded, seeing the pupil nod again and head, with him, to the cottage they rented for the occasion.

They entered the house and put themselves in the living room, where there was a portable whiteboard for patterns and tactics. Chloe immediately began to write: 'We know that his fighting style has been revolutionised, now it almost feels like he's dancing in the air instead of fighting. He was even crueler in the ring, we both saw him in the reruns of the clash against Ricardo. Now, there are basically three problems: his speed, his lectern and his elasticity. We will talk about muscle strength later. You need to know the origin of these three key points to try to best balance them. Now, this question is fundamental: do you know what their origin is?"

Kevin almost snorted in disrespect: "Tsk, I won't have finished my studies but I am well aware of my wife's brilliance. I admit, however, that I do not know the biological differences between the Terrestrials and the Kinniku. Come on, I'm all ears."

Chloe quickly drew the silhouettes of two people, pointed to the first and said: "These are us Earthlings. We have full bones and we're used to this kind of gravity. We are not used to the cosmic void, our body would freeze instantly. – pointed out the other figure – These are the Kinniku. They have hollow bones and harder than diamond, they are used to lower gravity, that's why on Earth or on planets with greater gravity they feel slow and heavy. However, since their planet is predominantly rocky, they have developed a particular ability to manage and untie their arms and legs as they please. And here we get to their muscle power. Not having the same Earth's atmosphere, on the contrary, being almost devoid of it, the Kinniku breathe hydrogen on their planet and in space, nitrogen on Earth. This leads their muscles to be different from ours and – I must admit – incredibly curious to study. They are able to make their muscles rock-hard or elastic like a piece of meat, so they can absorb the opposing blows without receiving damage." he paused because he saw that Kevin wanted to intervene.

"So you're basically telling me that biologically I'm inferior to Mantaro? Not bad, now that I know these things, I'm going to find a way to exploit them to my advantage and create a gap in these perfect skills to fight. We have seen his previous clashes, I seem to see, sometimes, a little hesitation about the attack. That you still don't master the new style of struggle?"

Chloe snapped his fingers: "I wanted you here! I think his problem is resistance to the new style of combat. All his meetings are over in less than twenty minutes, probably after that threshold his body begins to tire because he has to recover the efforts made. Most likely he has to use twice the energy to be so fast, as he has to fight against greater gravity. So, the best solution is to make it so tired that you can't respond to your attacks anymore."

"Do you really want to be a tug-of-war? It seems to me to be a rather risky solution."

Chloe approached Kevin: "Kevin, don't you remember that in a fight, whoever wants to win the most wins wins? And I'm sure you want it more than Mantaro. Or were my assumptions correct and you no longer see him as an opponent?"

Kevin snapped to his feet, furiously: "But is your brain turned?! Mantaro is not my opponent, he is my number one enemy! Because of his family my family has been humiliated over and over again, and I will avenge myself the day after tomorrow by making him feel the burning humiliation of defeat! And I'll be proud to slap him with the belt I'm going to wear!".

Chloe smiled: "Well. – he looked at the hour – He was late, go to sleep, tomorrow is a busy day ahead of us." he saw his pupil nod and disappear into his room. But Chloe could swear she heard him snorting in resentment. That Kevin didn't want to participate in the tournament anymore?

It is said that the night brings advice. But it was never specified whether the advice was positive or negative, whether it had affected only the life of the person who made that choice or that of all the people close to her. But can there be a choice that only affects the person who takes it? If that were the case, the future and the past wouldn't hide so many unknowns, would they? And that's why Mantaro - that day - seemed absent. He kept thinking about what his life _could_ have been like if he said yes to his sister.

Would he have had a degree yet? Would he have known his soul mate? Would he have trained consistently or would he have decided to become human? Would he approve of his sister's marriage or would he oppose Kevin with all his might? Mantaro, for a moment, it was said that it was not good to think those things, because he certainly could not go back to correct them and change them, and certainly would not give up his present life.

Although there were displeasures in his life, he had found friends. He still couldn't define them as true, because they hadn't actually told him what they thought of him after they discovered that detail about his life; but knowing that there was someone who had decided to be friends with him not because he was a prince pleased him a lot. With them, then, he had passed many; from training at the Hercules Factory, to the battle against d.M.p., from the evening outings to the clash with the Ex Generation due to their negligence. His friends had also supported him during the Grand Final, but despite this he had not yet found the courage to tell them how much he had suffered for his father's health, nor how much he loved his nephew. And then, he didn't know whether or not they decided to accept it after his radical change. Even if it wasn't a radical change, he had always been like that, it was just the shock he had suffered that had led him to be the clown they had known.

And then, he couldn't say he hated his life as an uncle. He had the most beautiful nephew in the world to cuddle, spoil and protect, how could he complain? Ever since David asked him if he hated him or not, the night he discovered everything, in that tender and innocent voice, his heart had belonged to him right away. That question had made him melt, but he had melted even more when, despite having never seen him, he sat on his lap and smiled happy. And how can we forget when he asked him if he could sleep with him, since he had made a nightmare? Mantaro couldn't have imagined a better life than he had now. And he would struggle with his nails and teeth to hold on to this life he had always dreamed of.

He only returned to himself because Jacques pulled a strut straight into his stomach. He had completely forgotten that they were training. It was only a few hours before the final. Tomorrow they'd know which one was the strongest, him or Kevin. But Mantaro just didn't want his nephew to suffer.

"Mister, what are you thinking? It is not of you to take such a predictable blow."

Mantaro slapped his face: "You're right, Jacques, excuse me. It's just that I was wondering, again, what my life could have been like if I left with my sister... but I have to admit that even this life, now, is perfect. – he scratched his back – I know I should stop brooding, but I just can't forgive myself ...”

Jacques smiled slightly: "Forgiving yourself is difficult, young man, and I understand what you mean. Don't blame yourself, you'll figure out how to forgive yourself over time. But now please focus on training, tomorrow is the big day."

Mantaro nodded and smiled, "Yes, you're right, Jacques." Mantaro returned to position and attacked. Jacques dodged the blow, but did not have time to think about what Mantaro wanted to do that had already been trapped in a _four_ _lock figure._ He beat on the carpet of the ring. Mantaro left his grip. "I didn't hurt you too much, did I, Jacques?"

"Don't worry, sir, I've taken worse shots in the army. – he stood up – Now excuse me but I have to go and prepare lunch. I remind you that you now have your training with increased gravity, make good use of it.”

"Of course, it will be done. I recommend, don't spoil David too much in my absence, otherwise what I'm doing it here?" and smiled again, while Jacques smiled back and headed to the kitchen. How he could not sweat was still a mystery.

Mantaro got out of the ring and began his training with increased gravity. It took him a few days to multiply the load he was able to lift, which is why he had now returned to quietly lift five hundred kilos. If his father had seen him, he would probably have been moved. He could never have thought that he would take Chojin's duty seriously.

It hadn't even been twenty minutes since he started the last phase of training that Mantaro heard his device vibrate and play all the time. Then he got up, fixed the barbell and took the device he needed to communicate with his sister: he opened his eyes in fear. The device was a small rectangle of a glass-like material, but it was not glass, and it kept pulsing, in red, the inscription CODE RED. DANGER. Mantaro remembered how his sister's friends had explained to him that his device also received requests for help, as opposed to theirs, and how the writing meant his sister was risking her life.

He immediately decided to stop training. He took the device with him and threw himself into the shower. The water was boiling. He undead and sat down, his arms hugging his legs and his head bowing over them. It seemed like the boiling water didn't touch him. The only useful thing the water did was hide his tears.

He was thinking. He had to think. He had to remain lucid because otherwise he wouldn't have had more consciousness than he could have done. He had to control his emotions. He had to do something, he had to run to his sister and save her and ... but if he had, he would not have been a good brother-in-law, because it was true that she was his sister, but now she had a man who loved her and ... and then Cris was with Liam and Joseph and ... but what if they were at the end of their lives too? He was the only one who knew what was going on, and ... and he was a Chojin. He had a duty to perform.

He looked up, with his heart sore in his chest. He couldn't be late, he'd already been late in his life, he couldn't be late again. He stood up, turned off the shower and wiped himself. He got dressed. He looked in the mirror: his sapphire blue eyes looked as cold as ice, as dark as oblivion. He ran up to the room to prepare, his sister had made for him a uniform of nanites that answered only to him. He took the necessary things to heal the wounds. Then he quickly descended the stairs. He saw Jacques in the kitchen, intent on cleaning, and David asleep on the sofa. He looked at his nephew and became even more convinced of his choice.

"Jacques!" he began, approaching.

The butler turned: "Mr. Mantaro, but what-"

“Cris is in danger. I don't know if Liam and Joseph are, too. – looked at his nephew again – Don't say anything to David, I don't want him to worry. And don't say anything to Kevin. I'll be back before the final, it's a promise."

Jacques nodded sternly: "And be it. The young lady is in Venezuela, in the Sima Humboldt. – pull a small remote control out of a pocket with a single button – Use this remote control, it will carry it directly there.' Mantaro nodded. Jacques blocked him by the shoulder: "Mister, be careful."

Mantaro nodded again and crushed the button. He soon found himself in the heart of the Venezuelan forest. He could hear a lot of different sounds, sounds he didn't want to hear at the time. He looked round, looking up: he was in a gigantic crater. He noticed downhill ropes hanging from one of the rock walls. He turned his head a little to the left and saw his sister: lying on the ground, helpless, with her eyes closed. Mantaro lost his mind and ran to her.

"Big sister!" he exclaimed. He didn't realize Liam and Joseph were nearby.

The two young doctors bleached. When Mantaro was now close to his sister, they shouted, "No, Mantaro, stop-NO!".

Mantaro, as soon as he tried to touch his sister, was struck by a very powerful electromagnetic head, who jumped him away from her by a few meters. Mantaro, at the same time as his sister's last defense took place, closed his eyes.

Mantaro closed his eyes. And while he had lost consciousness, his sister had returned to herself. Too late. For once Mantaro had not been late, Cris was late. As soon as she saw the scene, she understood everything. She felt her heart freeze, before running to him along with Liam and Joseph. The two doctors immediately jumped on Mantaro, Liam on a him to give him a heart massage and Joseph to give him mouth-to-mouth breathing. If the brain had stopped receiving blood, they wouldn't have been able to save him.

Liam realized that Cris was about to panic, so he yelled at her: "Cris, quick, we need to get him to the lab asap! How long does it take from here to the lab?!'

"Not ... we can't use the teleporter. We're going to have to go by plane. I've already requested that my jet-cargo be sent on a stretcher. The nearest I had parked it in Los Angeles, it's coming." wiped away two tears "I ...”

"Not now, Cris, make sure the jet finds us! – then Liam returned to watch Mantaro – Resist, Mantaro, resist!"

In those seven years of travel, nothing had ever happened. Why did something so horrible have to happen right now? Why did that wild animal have to break Cris's rope, activating her ultimate defense? Why, for once, was Cris late?


	18. Never Land

Her heart was no longer beating. Her eyes closed, dry, tearless were curled up in those two cruel cavities that were orbits. Her breath had truncated in an instant. It seemed that even the blood had stopped flowing, to satisfy that silence, that void of the soul that had taken possession of that body that had so often seen the sunlight, now only wished to disappear into the darkest darkness. In space, boundless and immense, the laws of Newton's physics and his successors do not apply. There is no gravity, that extraordinary and mysterious force that still objects and living beings on the ground of a planet. In space you float, like a feather does when it falls from the wings of a bird, and you drift like a castaway looking for the island that isn't there. Perhaps every human being was an island that is not there, without inhabitants, full of dense and shady vegetation and tunnels and caves where not even the most intrepid of explorers could find their way. Or every human being was like a supernova, the greatest explosion of energy that can occur in the universe, and then damp down and become a black hole, the only place in the world where the theoretical laws of physics are not valid. And Cristiana, at that moment, was eagerly desiring to disappear, diverted by one of the too many black holes that were hidden in the universe and that had not yet swallowed her.

She lifted her head, opened her eyes looking fixedly at the void. Her arms were tightened around her knees, bent and tightened to her chest as when you don't have a better seat. Her eyes looked at the void, right, but her head had been raised just enough to see the floor of her jet-cargo. Liam and Joseph's desperate questions did not touch her, they almost seemed to come from another dimension, while in her soul again opened that wound that had never, in fact, healed. That emptiness that had accompanied her for so long, that inner torment that she had decided not to take into account since she fell in love, returned overbearing to ask her the bill. She was sure that if there was a gust of wind, it could crumble and become dust. What was the point of life now, now that she was about to lose the person for whom she had lived that life?

Her brother Mantaro was everything to her. Mantaro was her brother, the only one to be recognized and named so from the first day of his conception, the only one she had ever really loved. She for Mantaro had built her economic, financial and scientific empire, so that she could pursue all her dreams. She wanted to see him take flight like an eagle, but now that he was helpless, now that _he wasn't_ , she just wanted to never exist, so she would averted the worst. She still remembered how they played for the castle gardens or in the ring, how they did – they tried – to prank their parents and how they sang loudly when they were happy. Now, however, there was only a heavy silence that surrounded her, as if she had dressed in silence. And Seneca said the deep pain was mute. She was right, but at that moment what could she have told her? Nothing. Silence spoke for itself.

In those seven years of study she had experienced many adventures. Clashes with ferocious or poisonous animals, poachers and very dangerous chemical compounds; nuclear weapons and the power of nature, and yet nothing had ever happened. Not even when she was four months pregnant had she gone to study some new species of poisonous insects. And now that she's found her brother, she must have been the cause of the disaster. She remembered when they almost risked being shipwrecked near the Nemo Point, or when a magnetic storm in the heart of the galaxy had almost destroyed the ship, but none of this had been successful, because they had always saved themselves. Probably time was asking her to account for beating him so many times.

At one point she looked up, not because she had regained hope, but because Joseph was about to become an aphon, by the fury of yelling at her. She asked with empty eyes: "What is it? Why are you doing so much for a dead man?"

Joseph ran in front of her, took her by the shoulders and said, "Come back to you! Cristiana, holy God, come back to you! There's still hope! We can save him!'

Liam added, not stopping applying the heart massage: "We attached him to the artificial respirator and I won't stop getting the blood to the brain for a moment, so we can save him! We just have to-"

"Your hands tremble at the repeated effort of heart massage. Maybe you should rest. In Hippocrates' oath, is it not written that clinically inappropriate diagnostic measures should not be taken? Stop tarnicing that corpse, now that's just a body that contained the Mantaro we knew and loved; but he's out of here now. Let that poor body rest, there's nothing left to do anymore." those eyes were damn empty, as if they had forgotten the existence of Kevin and David.

'NO!' the two doctors shouted, before Liam continued: 'Mantaro is still here! He's here! He's not clinically dead and his heart is still beating, and as long as his heart is pounding, we'll do everything we can to save him. Together.'

Cristiana looked at her friends from below: "Even though my jet-cargo has greatly shortened the flight hours, there are still four hours left before arriving at the laboratory. Instead of eighteen hours of flying time we will make twelve, but it is still too late."

Joseph gave Liam the change for the heart massage, and Liam came up to her, knelt down and put his hands - trembling with spasms - on her arms, saying: "We're going to make it, it's a promise. Promise me that now you will not give in to pain and despair, but you will try in every way to save him. Promise me, Cris. – he was crying – And if, despite the lab and your genius we have to say goodbye, then you can tell us "I told you so", only then. But not before, I won't let you."

Christian looked at him, but did not answer. She took ice and put it on his hands, then returned to her position before. She closed herself again in silence and with silence spoke for the remaining four hours of flight. Her deafening assisted breathing machine ripped her soul apart. As soon as the jet parked on Cris's skyscraper, she stood up with her two friends who were already ready – Joseph to ventilate, Liam to do the heart massage – to do their duty. They descended like fuss from the stairway, holding the stretcher firmly, and darting towards the laboratory. As soon as Jacques saw them, because it was unusual for them to return with the jet, he turned pale. In a choked voice, the butler asked, "What happened?"

Joseph replied: "There is no time! Mantaro is dying! We have to go!", and they disappeared into the lab. Jacques immediately decided to leave for Tokyo National Stadium.

That day was really here. The day of the final. That day it would be decided the strongest Chojin around, the one who had the right of veto over the decisions of the league and, above all, fought for the honor of his family. Mantaro to defend him, Kevin to get him back. And it was Kevin who, oblivious to everything, was sitting in the chair of his dressing room and looking, sweaty and tired, at the mask that his father had worn when he lost to Kinnikuman. He was thinking back to his life, to what he had done; how to win the Tournament was the only way to get his father's forgiveness.

But did Kevin really want to win the Tournament? Before he met Mantaro, yes; but over time he had learned that the real Mantaro corresponded to what his wife had always described to him, and knowing that he had always loved his nephew and pampered him as never before made him feel bad, because perhaps that was not the right way to regain the family honor. Perhaps he should have revealed to the world his love story, how the two families always struggling had united, how his life had become unforgettable with the arrival of his little one ... and instead he still believed that the best way to put things right was to fight in the ring. Perhaps his wife was really right, when he described chojin culture as clumsy and limited...

He sighed again. They had knocked on his door, the final was about to begin. He put on his father's mask which he had modified for the occasion. He was ready to take thestage. He put on his usual clothes, his T-shirt and his raincoat, then waited for his coach. Chloe arrived shortly afterwards, holding the bucket with the water bottle and sponge. Not that he would ever throw it away, the sponge, but that was the rules. Chloe felt compelled to talk to her pupil before going: "Kevin, before you got into the ring I have to remind you of some things." they had gone out and were walking down the aisle.

"Tell me." Kevin looked fixedly at the horizon, began to hear the chorus of spectators ready to scream his name or Mantaro's and could not help but think that he would like to have his father and wife there by his side. But that's not what mattered now.

"I want you to forget about any bond you have woven with Mantaro. I want you to bring out all the anger and hatred you feel about him. The audience paid to see a clash of ferocious beasts, not gentlemen, and only those who survive the fight will wear the champion belt. Remember, you owe me a debt."

"Don't worry, Chloe, you'll get your compensation today. Wait a little more and I will crush Mantaro under my foot." then they shut up because they were about to get in touch with the public. Kevin entered impassively, though he faltered a little when he saw that his opponent had not yet arrived. Mantaro was on the red corner, he had to come in first, and yet he wasn't there. That they changed their minds, wanting to let him in last because he didn't have his coach anymore?

The announcer, who was in the ring, exclaimed: "And on the red corner, weighing eighty-three kilos per hundred and seventy-six centimeters tall, son and grandson of two multiple wrestling champions, Kinniku Maaaaantaaarooooo!"

The music, which was usually rock, had become elegant and proud. The audience cheering for Mantaro began to warm up and shout his name loudly, but Mantaro did not arrive. And it did not even arrive after the thirty minutes that were due by regulation as a possible delay. A grave silence descended on the stadium, Kevin trembled with anger as the Muscle were overjoyed – excluding Jacqueline – about what had just happened. Ikimon climbed into the ring with the champion belt, was about to fasten it around Kevin's waist but Kevin, in an angry gesture, took the title as a champion of constipation and got out of the ring. Then, followed by his coach, he headed furiously into his dressing room. He was about to explode from the anger he felt. Too bad he didn't know there was someone even more angry than him.

Kevin opened the shutter door, yelling at Chloe: "I want to know why he didn't show up! – he punched the wall – He knew, did that coward know how important this meeting was to me and what does he do, what does he do?! He doesn't show up, that's what he does! Now I'm going to go down in history as the one who won the Tournament by lump sum. _For lump sum!_ Is there anything more humiliating? Eh, eh?" his blind rage did not allow him to see the two guests he had in the dressing room, but one of them spoke, opening Kevin's eyes.

"You will soon find out, since I will take away his rights and never return to his home world!"

Robin then intervened:"Suguru, don't you feel like you're exaggerating? I'm sure-"

Suguru had his eyes injected with blood: "No, Robin! And I want an explain-"

Jacques broke in, exclaiming: "Your Majesty! Young Lord! I owe you-"

Suguru approached angry the butler: "Jacques, tell me you know where my cowardly idiot son is, so that I can make him understand the true meaning of the words Seigi Chojin!".

Jacques's gaze became stone, his face hardened and he replied glacially: "Your son is in the laboratory. – took a theatrical break, walking outside. Then he turned around -- And _he's dying_."

Suguru’s – like the others – blood froze in his veins. His mouth moved empty, then he managed to articulate a single sentence looking at the space first occupied by Jacques: "I have to go to my baby ... I have to go to my baby!". And ran out, followed by Robin.

Kevin was petrified, he was still on trial. Then, when Chloe put a hand on his shoulder, he woke up and exclaimed, "David! I have to go to my son's! I must be by his side, he ... he lives for Mantaro!' and ran out too, holding his belt on one shoulder.

Whatever happened, he had to be next to his son. And to that genius who was Cristiana. He knew the unthinkable had happened.


	19. Scientific mission

Science hypothesizes that what allows the universe to expand rapidly is a form of undetectable energy, the dark energy. According to scientists, this energy allows the universe to expand through great negative pressure. This first force had been called by Einstein a "cosmological constant", qualitatively similar to a large-scale gravitational force, and Einstein had hypothesized it to counteract his own theory. As if he didn't have the courage to admit that he had given a new truth to reality. It was not until the end of the twentieth century that this new truth was confirmed, and reality took a new form. Physicists also suspect that this dark energy that sets the universe in motion is the energy of emptiness and that, as such, it interacts only with gravity. They also argue that vacuum energy has negative pressure equivalent to its density. So, if a human had some sort of gravity of its own, the energy of the vacuum it produced would interact with the gravity of the other living beings with which it comes into contact, and that this attraction is given by greater or lower values in one of the two subjects, just like in the rules of chemical bonds.

But what was going on in a chemical bond with nothing electronegativeness? Simply, the bond did not form, just like in noble gases. The noble gases were always there, on the periodic table, unique to have the perfect octet in nature and therefore isolated from the other elements. If human beings had all been like noble gases – that is, they were enough for themselves – they would not have needed to forge bonds with other living beings and would have acted only by acting in their own right. But then human society could not have existed and would have been reduced to collapse and extinction in a very short time. However, Cristiana believed that if she were like a noble gas, nothing would happen of what had happened. She wouldn't make a connection with her adoptive brother and now she wouldn't be suffering as if she saw her soul tortured while the executioner condemned her to watch.

'Cris, please react!'

React? What was she supposed to react to? Where was her reagent? She could have reacted if she hadn't been sure her brother wasn't dead, but her brother was dead, that was just a body kept alive for no reason. Cristiana knew the laws of science very well, so often she had subverted them and so many had confirmed them, but this time she could not say the same. That was not the science discovered in centuries of history, that was _her_ science, the result of her genius and imagination. That science was not to be subverted, only to be accepted as raw reality. She just had to think about how to explain to her family and adoptive parents what had happened.

Liam knelt before her for the second time, took her by the shoulders and shook her and: "Cri, react, for God's sake! He's your brother, your little angel for whom you built an empire so he could be free to choose his life! You love him, you love him!!!”

And it was at that point that Cristiana finally broke her silence. She burst into a sea of tears and sobs because that mute pain was unbearable. She hugged Liam like she had never done before and wept even more. Finally, after more than twelve, exhausting, hours, she spoke: "Not ... we can't save him, Liam, we can't! You... you and the squad did everything you could to keep him alive, but I know myself and I know my plans, that machine was built to kill and protect, not ... there's nothing left to do! I have... I lost my brother ... the only one I've ever really loved...'

"No! Look me in the eye, Cris! – his emerald green eyes were shiny for tears – You designed that device, which means you can find the solution! I believe in you, Cris!'

"Liam, you don't understand. – wiped away tears with her palms, the makeup was cast but by now she no longer cared – That ... that device uses an electromagnetic field that destroys the electrical impulses generated by the membrane, making the membrane itself stateless. I destroyed his nervous system, Liam! There’s nothing left to-"

Liam furiously exclaimed: "Stop saying there's nothing left to do, you've decided there's nothing left to do! Don't lose hope right now! You know the causes and consequences, so you can find a solution! We will look in the electromagnetic field, and if we do not find the solution in the electromagnetic field we will look elsewhere! But we will find a solution, promised!'

Cris swallowed with lifeless eyes: "It goes ... all right, I'll try. In fact, we're going to try. Only ...' stood up, even Liam stood up; she took him by the hand: "... stay close to me."

Liam nodded, "I will."

Cristiana, at the time, realized that Kevin was her true love, but Liam was her first love. And the first love never forgets, that's why she had chosen a career in science. And she had Liam by her side all that time, but it was a time when they had loved each other only as an experiment, not as a life experience. She understood that this was one of her greatest regrets. But by now she had to think about the present, not the past, let alone the future.

Kevin arrived in his home, followed by his father and father-in-law. He had a heart that drilled into his chest, severed breath and clothes stuck to his body because of sweat. The belt he had won angrily threw it on the sofa in the middle of the eighth floor, where you could see very well all of Tokyo. Before he could tell Jacques anything, he saw Camille leave the room where David used to play. He took her by the back and asked her, "Camille, what the hell happened?! I have... I heard Jacques say that Mantaro is dying and ...”

Camille turned her gaze to the precious floor and replied: "Cris, Liam and Joseph had set out on a solo journey in the Sima Humboldt to research materials for genetic mutation research. Were... We were about to find a cure, but when Liam walked into Cris's office, he found it upside-down and the search of a lifetime destroyed. It was Jacqueline, she took revenge while you were in Paris. Their... they then left immediately and ... and then Mantaro received the message of danger and decided to reach them and ...» put his hand on her nose and tried not to cry, but it was a really impossible thing.

Kevin looked up: "And what? – he froze blood in his veins – No ... no, not ... everything but not the _obliterator,_ please ...” had not noticed that he had begun to tremble too.

Camille nodded with tears streaming down her face: "That's how it went, Kevin. Is... it was a fatality, Cris recovered at the exact moment Mantaro came into contact with the magnetic field ...”

Kevin shook his head vigorously: "No, no!!!" he turned to look at his father and father-in-law, but then asked the Hispanic again: "What about David? Where's David? He ...?'

"He is ... is playing with Ayo, not ... doesn't know anything but ... but I think he understood that too. I'm so sorry, Kevin...' Camille's eyes were red for crying "Excuse me, I have to substitute Hinori ...” and went up to the lab.

Kevin sat on the sofa to charge the shot. Wept. But he did not have time to explain to his father and Suguru that his son arrived and placed himself in front of him. David pointed to the champion's belt with his right index finger and exclaimed: "How beautiful, Dad, you won! Is it true that you're going to be with me and mum now, Dad?"

Kevin stroked his son on the head and asked, "David... tell me what Uncle Mantaro is like?'

David's eyes lit up and with a dazzling smile he exclaimed: "Uncle Mantaro is the best uncle in the world, you know, Dad? He always gives me the pernacchie on my belly, when I'm sad he makes me laugh, he always plays superheroes with me and when I have a nightmare, he makes me sleep with him! Uncle Mantaro is a super uncle!", but then his ice-colored eyes darkened and his tender voice almost broke, asking with tears in his eyes: "Is it true that Uncle Mantaro does not die, Dad?"

Kevin then knelt down and squeezed his son hard in the chest, saying, "No, he's not going to die, it's a promise..."

David wept: "How could I live without Uncle Mantaro, Dad? Uncle Mantaro loves me so much and I love him more and then you and mum would be so sad and life without Uncle Mantaro would not be the same and—"

Kevin put his forehead on his son's, had now thrown away the helmet that covered his face and whispered: "Shh, my little one, now enough crying ... your dad promised you: Uncle Mantaro will recover, because mum will do everything possible to save him ...” and kissed him in the forehead. He placed him better on his chest so he could feel his heartbeat. He was sure that would comfort him at least a little bit.

Suguru and Robin sat down, Suguru sat on the sofa in front of Kevin and Robin in the armchair where Cris used to sit. Robin looked at his best friend, who was shaking and crying. And Robin knew the first reason he was crying was because he doubted his son and wanted to punish him as harshly as possible.

'Suguru...' Robin said it almost whispering.

Suguru put his hands to collect tears and then replied, in his voice broken by crying: "How ... how could I doubt my son, Robin? Him... he did ... him ...” but he could not speak for too much pain. Robin got up and hugged his friend. It was the first time he didn't know how to behave.

Liam and Cris were in the latter's office to find a solution for Mantaro. They were going to save him at any cost, they had activated the holograms of their research and also the whiteboard on which they wrote with markers to have the maximum surface to work on. Cris was trying to manage her emotions to find the cure. She owed it to her brother, she hadn't told him so many things yet... she would have told them certainly, if they could save him.

Liam decided to speak first, as he saw that Cris was trying to better manage her emotions – she didn't want to take the xume-blockers because she knew she would choose to let him go. He said, "Let's think about the electromagnetic field generated by the obliterator. If its frequency is compatible with the nervous system of living beings, then it would be enough to generate a reverse field in which to insert Mantaro's body and wait for his body to react. If-'

Cris blocked Liam with one hand, her gaze being the same as the great scientific discoveries: "No. It is not the electromagnetic field that destroyed his nervous system, but the nervous system itself. – attracted the beam of electrons that served as a hologram, showing a brain and its interconnections – As you can see neurons and synapses work by electrical stimulation. The problem is that the obliterator destroyed the polarization of the membrane, which transmitted electrical impulses by polarizing or depolarizing. We have made it stateless, but we cannot reposition it with a new electromagnetic field. Wouldn't work. Perhaps-"

The door opened. It was Joseph. He had tired but hopeful eyes and was drenched with sweat. He had given Mantaro the heart massage all that time, then Camille and Ayo came to replace him and Hinori. He gasped. He asked: "Ex-Excuse me for the delay ... I'm here. Have you identified anything?'

Cris nodded: "Yes. Maybe I thought something, a possible solution. It's the only one likely, so we have to try everything. We must do the impossible, as we have always done. If we can't save him, we'll at least know we tried. Promise me, at least, that we will do it together."

Liam and Joseph nodded and put a hand on her shoulder: "Sure. Let's go." and they went out to the lab. As soon as they entered the lab, they put on their uniform and tools for the operation. They were ready, it was the last scientific mission of their lives.

Meanwhile, Jacques had taken David with him and taken him to the playroom to allow Kevin to talk to Suguru and Robin without David being able to upset him even more. Kevin hadn't put on his mask, he left it on the floor. He kept crying. And not just for Mantaro. This time, he was crying for his wife.

'Kevin...' his father felt infinite tenderness for that son who had escaped from home at the age of eight and had joined a criminal organization only to spite him, because he seemed to see him again, child, frightened by thunder.

"Why ... why am I not enough ... _why am I still not good enough?!_ " he cursed with those words, raising his eyes to heaven. He bit his lower lip and tightened his knuckles until they were bleached. If he could have gosted, he would have.

Robin held a hand resting on Suguru's back and massaged him: "What do you say?! You're more than enough! You are a fantastic and loving father, a perfect life partner for Crist-- "

Kevin snapped on his feet furiously: "NO! That's not true! You don't understand, you will never understand! I've never been there for her! I wasn't there when she left for her research, I wasn't there when she was missing somewhere obscure in the universe! I wasn't there when she attempted suicide because she didn't think she could do anything better for the world, I wasn't there when she was crying the nights because of my mistakes, I wasn't there when they operated on her because of childbirth! I _wasn't_ there!" he sat down, trembling "And I wasn't even there this time, when for once she really needed me I was in that damn ring waiting for that boy, _that angel_ , who tried so hard to live up to the expectations that exceeded them at the cost of his life! I... how does she love a person like, Cristiana? I'm worthless, I'm nothing to her... and yet she loves me. Why is that?'

"My daughter loves you because she knows you're the other half of her soul. The day you got married, she told me that she had finally found what she had always been looking for, what she had always dreamed of. She told me you make her happy. Stop commisering. Don't think about that now. We must ...' he began to cry "... we must think and hope for Mantaro ... my baby ...'

Kevin also got up and sat next to Suguru. He shook his hand and put his head on his shoulder. His eyes were vacuous. He only hoped that his wife would actually save his brother, because he knew that he would not only lose his brother-in-law, but also his wife, if Mantaro died.


	20. The fall of the giants

A few times her breath had been as wheezing as that day. A few times her eyes were grainy and occupied with thoughts, billions of thoughts, positive and negative, memories, discoveries, insecurities ... to be honest, only another time she had felt the same emotions: when she had given birth. When Belinda gave birth to Mantaro, now fifteen years ago, her mind and heart had been kidnapped by many positive thoughts and emotions, because she had just become a mother and had just tightened in her arms the love she felt for Suguru, which from that moment on had become tangible, but also negative emotions, because she knew that one day she would have to say goodbye. He knew that one day his son would grow up, decide what to do with his life and leave for his journey, and she could only look at him from behind. But Belinda had never wanted that trip to be so short.

Maybe that was just a joke, a way for her husband not to make her angry when he told her why Mantaro didn't show up in the ring on the day of the final, but her husband wept as if he knew his life didn't make sense, and both Kevin and Robin were locked in a lugubrious, bleak silence. No, it couldn't be true. And not because she didn't want to lose her son, but also because if it was true that was the sign that she had been waiting a long time to know whether or not it was right that she was a mother without knowing hers.

Belinda, for all those years, had thought that being a mother in herself was both the greatest gift and the greatest misfortune, a sword of Damocles that oscillates between truth and lies. When do you become a mother – what if you were born a mother? – there is also all the unspoly criticism that your child's behaviour will drag on, not only the child will be judged for his behaviour, but also the mother who gave him education. A mother doesn't stop being so just because her son leaves home, there's actually no word to define the end of maternal or paternal experience – either because you never stop being a mother, or because when you lose a child you stop living and, therefore, you stop being. And it was precisely that anguish – that no longer being – that tormented Belinda.

With the force of disbelief she approached her husband, sat by his side and looked at him: Suguru no longer looked like a king, not even the hero who had so often saved the world; he seemed just a poor father praying not to lose the only son he could really raise. Suguru didn't even look at her, he was left with his head bowed and looked at his knees and cried. He had stopped sobbing, he was trying to keep that unbearable pain to himself. Belinda shook his right hand with both her hands and asked him: "Suguru is ... is it true what you told me? What... why is our Mantaro dying?!", she too shed two tears and her husband, as soon as he noticed, embraced her, making her disappear into his chest, as if he wanted to take upon himself the pain of his wife.

But Suguru did not answer, only held close the woman he really loved. At that point it was Kevin who felt compelled to respond, even though the pain made him pulse and turn his head and shake his hands and voice. Before explaining, he degluted, trying to find the courage he would never have to give that news: "Mantaro is so sick because he tried to save Cris. She... she, Liam and Joseph had left for an expedition to the Humboldt Sima for research and ... I do not know what exactly happened, I only know that Mantaro received the danger signal and rushed to her and ... and then he came into contact with the obliterator and now they're trying to save him. I... if only I had known ...”

Belinda turned her face towards Kevin and asked that question that no one had yet had the courage to ask: "What is the obliterator?"

Kevin felt his heart heavy before answering that question: "The obliterator is a device designed by Cris that protects her in case something happens to her. It activates before she loses consciousness, sending her into some sort of preventive coma, and creates an electromagnetic field that can destroy any nervous system that comes into contact. Is... it was designed to protect by killing and-" but an unwelcome guest entered that hall.

"I have ... I heard about Mantaro and ... I'm so sorry, maybe I can talk to my father and brother and make sure to-” but Jacqueline didn't finish the sentence that found a furious Kevin Mask against her, ready to scream all the hate he felt for her.

"Shut up! You have to shut up! Who the hell let you in here, huh?! You... you, first you ruin a very important research for Cris that pushes her to attempt suicide, then you get slept with me and she believes that I am cheating on her ... She had already signed the divorce papers, filthy whore, I was going to lose the woman of my life and my baby because of you! ... And... and then you destroy her the search of a lifetime, the most important one, and force her to leave immediately to repair the damage you have caused but for once something goes wrong and Mantaro rushes to her and now risks dying!" Kevin had very visible neck veins, he was out of his rage "You can know why you keep ruining her life like that, huh?! Do you hate her so much?! Feel good, Jacqueline Muscle: I do not touch women, but I swear to God that if I find you here and Mantaro dies, I will have no more consciousness of what I will do to you! And now out of my house! Outside!!!” gasped, so he had breathed his lungs. Jacqueline was so scared that she ran straight away.

Kevin returned to sit and still trembled with anger and pain. He saw his father and his in-laws looking at him in amazement, and he answered with narrow teeth: "Reality is never as it seems ..." and then he pulled up his knees to his chest, hugged them with his arms and remained in that position. He didn't want to give unnecessary explanations at the time.

She could never have thought she had to operate her brother to save his life. She could never, in the slightest, have imagined having to take off his mask and see his face again. She had vague memories of her brother's face, she just remembered that he was as handsome as that of angels. And that was still the case. Before starting the operation – which then operation was not, that was just an experiment, a hypothesis – she wanted to caress her brother's face, although he could not feel her gloved hand give him a caress. He couldn't hear anything, really, because it was like he was dead. At that time, in fact, Mantaro was facing a neurological death, because his nervous system was no longer working. It wasn't a brain death yet because his heart was still beating, and he was safely attached to an automatic defibrillator, and because he was still breathing, in a way, because he had been attached to a respirator.

She looked at him vacuously. Her brother was handsome even as he was about to fall asleep forever, just what you would expect from an angel or a star. Mantaro had always loved stars, perhaps because he was an alien or perhaps because he had a romantic soul, which is that they had always fascinated him and had always fantasized about leaving like supernoves do: an extreme explosion of energy and beauty, before turning off forever. For a moment the doubt conquered her heart and whispered softly to her that there was no point in trying and saving him, he was more dead than alive, trying would only inflict more pain on him and would only inflict more pain on him. But faith saved her from that chasm, prompting her to act.

"Cris, when you're ready, we start," Joseph told her slowly, not wanting to break that sacred moment.

She raised her head and smiled slowly, replying: "Thank you. Now I'm ready, we can start. – she atoned deeply, trying to control tears – May God send us good." and then they began to operate.

Liam was holding a hair-singing machine; he shaved all the hair Mantaro had on his head and then passed with a razor so as not to have any hair or hair to get in the way of the craniotomy. It was a very difficult operation, also because they had to operate him sat, to prevent the brain fluid from leaking out of the skull. They prepared the area to be engraved, traced the marks and opened the skull cap. The easy part had passed, now it was up to the one that would determine the life or death of the prince.

Cris had in her hand that instrument she had made in record time to reposition the membrane. It would have to pinch all visible parts of the brain slightly, so as to transmit the electrical stimuli that would regenerate the polarity of the membrane. Maybe. It was not known whether it worked or not.

"Come on, Cris, we're going to make it," Liam and Joseph said, holding the same instrument in her hand. She nodded again and the real operation began. They hadn't started for a minute that Ayo had to change the oxygen tank, and Camille took the empty tank and took it down, where the members of the two families had gathered, so they could be upgraded.

Kevin was also joined by David, who was snuggled up to his father's chest. As soon as he saw Camille pointed at her without saying anything, then everyone looked at her. Kevin asked, "Camille, how's it going? Can you tell us something?'

She shook her head: "I have no idea how it is progressing. Now excuse me, I have to go back to assist," and disappeared upstairs, after leaving Jacques with the oxygen tank. Four very long hours had already passed.

In the lab they finished giving the little electrical stimuli into the visible part of the brain when Camille came back upstairs, and now they were moving on to stitch up the skull cap. Fortuna wanted the operation to take place in the most technological and cutting-edge laboratory of the entire universe, so the screws and points they put in Mantaro would reabsorbed and strengthened as part of the bone or skin, leaving no trace. Now they just had to lie him down on their stomachs, drill holes in his neck and stimulate the rest of his brain and cerebellum.

"Sweat," Liam said simply, and Hinori wiped his forehead. They made small forks at the base of the skull and entered with the same instrument, only smaller and attached to a cable. They would maneuver it like a laparoscopy. That was the most terrible part, because they soon lost Mantaro. But the three of them were one of a kind, and they managed to complete the operation without complications.

They laid Mantaro on the bed and immediately put his helmet with electrodes to control his brain function. Then, as Hinori and Ayo took him to his room, Liam, Joseph, and Cris took off their operation suits. In their eyes there was hope.

'We did it...' Joseph was given two tears of emotion "This was the hardest operation of my career..."

Liam was also about to cry, but he noticed Cris was crying, but not because of the emotion. Before her friends could speak, she said only: "Lord, please, I entrust my brother's life to you. Don't make us act in vain...'

Meanwhile, Camille had come down again. She looked at all those present, destroyed by pain and remorse, tacit, as if they were waiting for the worst verdict, and then said: "Do not ... I don't know how they did it, I really don't know – she was moved – but they managed to rebuild his whole nervous system." and then went to her room, she needed a moment for herself. Her heart overflowed with joy.

Belinda and Suguru did not have time to say anything that Liam and Joseph appeared. They were dumping all the tension of those days. They had tired eyes and faces, but they continued their duty as doctors. They approached the two newlyweds, knelt down so Liam could take Belinda's hands and began: "Lord Kinniku, the operation was unique and unrepeatable of its kind. It was without a doubt the most difficult operation of our career. If Mantaro within thirty-six hours does not wake up, however ... you will have to say good-bye to him."

Belinda, not wanting to be discouraged, asked: "And ... and should he wake up?"

Joseph replied: "If he were to wake up, the best-case scenario would see him regain all the motor skills and intellectual faculties he had before the accident. The worst-case scenario sees him come back as a newborn, and you'll have to re-teach him everything all over again... talk, write, eat ... All. However, if he does not wake up, he could fall into an irreversible coma ... and—"

"I want to know what _the_ worst-case scenario really is." Belinda asked him with tight teeth while her husband seemed lost.

The two doctors got up and said, "Death." And they returned on the latter floor, hearing Belinda’s choked hiccups.

Liam and Joseph walked so slowly to that room where Mantaro rested that it almost seemed to them to get away from time. They didn't want to walk into that room, and not because they didn't want to see Mantaro in that state – they were doctors, they were used to tragic situations – but because they didn't want to see Cris in that state. After boarding the jet, she had not spoken for more than thirteen, very long, hours, until they had forcibly questioned her, and was ready to let go of her brother.

But why the hell did she want to let go of her brother?! Didn't she love him? Yes, she loved him, more than her own life! Then why? It didn't make sense! It was true that an extreme gesture of love is to choose not to see loved ones suffer anymore, but here Mantaro was not suffering, he no longer felt anything, and it was their duty to save him because they could save him. Still, Cris didn't seem sure what they had to do, almost as if she wanted to punish herself for something she had done. But what?

The answer to that question could not be found because they stopped in front of the armored door of the room. The two friends looked each other in the eye, in those tired but somehow still hopeful eyes, sighed heavily and then it was Joseph who opened the door. The scene they saw was so heartbreaking, so much so, that they finally cried too.

Cristiana – because at that moment she was neither their boss, nor the most brilliant person in history nor, much less, a mother – was kneeling next to her brother's bed, her head resting on Mantaro's pillow, so as to have him close, and looked at him and stroked his brother's profile with his right hand. The index finger started from the forehead and went down to outline the nose and lips inherited both from the mother, touched the chin and then the hand rested on the heart. Her eyes were full of tears. At first she did not notice the presence of her two friends, that's why she spoke to her brother, saying:

"I'm sorry, little brother, it's all my fault. It always has been, you know? It's just that I've always been the kind of person who would do anything to make others happy... you can't leave, Mantaro, I still have so many things to tell you ... so many that I can't find the words and I wouldn't need all the oxygen in the world to articulate them in the right way. But is there a proper way to love, little brother? Perhaps" clasped his right hand, as if she were asking forgiveness "maybe you know it and you are waiting for the right time to tell me, I ... I loved you so much, you know? From the first moment mom conceived you, I felt my heart warm because I knew I was going to have a brother, a brother of my own when I didn't have a family first and then you, my little angel in this life, came. You were so small, you know? You were so soft that you seemed to me made of clouds, and you had eyes so blue that they looked like two sapphires embedded in your bulbs. I wondered how it was possible that such perfection could belong to a mortal being, you know? And... and then the first time you tightened my finger and smiled at me I realized that I finally had someone to protect and ...” wept in an even more harrowing way "... and I couldn't. Why I didn't protect you, you're wondering. It's because I, unlike you, have always been afraid to bond with someone but ... but then you came, then Kevin and David and-"

At that point Liam put a hand on her shoulder and said only: "Cris ..."

She left her brother and hugged him. She wept on his chest like the time she saw her work destroyed. She wept as when she learned that Kevin had entered d.M.p. She replied: "It's all my fault, just my fault ... If... if I hadn't played the little chemist that day all this wouldn't have happened... it is my just punishment ... I will see life slip from his hands just as these hands have been rendered powerless ... it's right so ... it's right so...' she wriggled her head to the right and left, fell on her knees and Liam and Joseph knelt down and sat with her.

This time it was Joseph who asked her, "Punishment? What are you saying? This was just an inevitability, Cris, the odds were so minimal that-”

But she blocked him and, looking at the floor, began to say: "Mantaro and I have three and a half years of difference. His mother got pregnant with him in November, two months after I was adopted. And... and it was no accident. – trembled, that fact had never told anyone – You see I ... I could not believe that two such good people could adopt the little girl that everyone avoided because it was considered too strange and ... and I wanted to pay them back. So... So I decided to sneak into their room, covertly, and look for something that could help me create an excerpt to make them happy. I saw that there were wet sheets – I thought it was sweating – and then I collected some of that liquid and also two of their hair and then, back in the room, I started beating, shredding, stirring ... I had collected random flowers, I wanted the extract to smell good and taste good ... after I finished, I put it in a container and kept it macerating for two months. Then... then I made my parents drink it by mixing it with another drink and ... and then Mom got pregnant with Mantaro right after drinking my concoction. I... I never talked about it because I didn't think I was the creator of everything and ... and instead I analyzed one of Mantaro’s hair and discovered the raw reality." she put her hands to cover her face.

"Cris, you were just a little girl, you couldn't have known-"

"No, it is right that all this is happening, it is my punishment for defying the laws of God ..." she turned her head to the side "You know, I never called them "mom" and "dad" not because I didn't love them, but because I felt inadequate! Mom... mom was beautiful, a real queen, she looked like an angel descended from heaven and Dad had that smile that warmed the heart and was very sweet with me and I ... what was I? Nothing! That's why... that's why I wanted to repay them somehow ... but apparently my gift is backfire ... yet I love my mom and dad so much ... for them I would do the impossible, but I believe that it will no longer be possible to do so ...”

That pain could not be cured in words. It was impossible to cure it in words. That's why Liam and Joseph squeezed her into a hug and stayed there all night. Too bad they were unaware that the guests downstairs had listened to all that conversation.


	21. Nothing is ever accidental

Belinda struggled to believe what she had just heard. No, it couldn't have been that two-and-a-half-year-old girl who made her a mother by accident. _By pure chance!_ She ... She hadn't said anything all that time because she believed it was just her fantasy, she believed she had dreamed of everything, and yet since she was reunited with her brother, she knew it was. How she did it didn't even know, yet what had happened tormented her because she believed she had defied God. But now that wasn't Belinda's real concern. The Queen could never believe that the little girl she had always wanted did not call her "mom" not because she did not want to, but because she felt inadequate. But why didn't she ever get it? Why?!

Her husband, meanwhile, had a vacuous look and was leaning against the arm of the leather sofa as if he had fought a thousand battles. It almost felt like an undead being, a mere piece of rock carved by wise hands and then painted. He was so upset that he didn't even seem to think. And Robin kept quiet, impassive, and looked at the void, too. Only Belinda moved her eyes, studying those present.

David had fallen asleep first on Kevin's chest then, when Kevin got up to hear what they were saying, his son had continued to sleep on the sofa, wrapped in his favorite blanket. He really looked like a little angel. The Queen shifted her gaze, twisting her neck to observe her son-in-law: Kevin stood, leaning against the wall, his arms folded and his head reclining on his chest. The Queen then decided to stand up, to approach him and ask: "Why did you do that? Why did you want to overhear their conversation? We were upset enough before, Kevin!""

Kevin raised his head, the Queen was only two centimetres less than his wife: "Because I needed to know how my wife was doing. I still couldn't talk to her, it was my right to know how she was doing, with the good or the bad. I am sorry that I have increased your – indeed, _our_ – heart service. It wasn't my intention to do that. I was just hoping they'd discuss the operation, I certainly didn't expect them to let go like this."

Belinda shook her head: "I thought you knew your wife better. So you just hurt yourself, Kevin. – turned around – I think you should now think about your son. He's still small and he hasn't eaten in a while, maybe you should feed him something, right?"

Kevin altered himself: "I don't think someone like you, who couldn't be a proper mother and understand your children, has a right to tell me how to be a parent."

"Before the First Intergalactic War takes place here, Kevin, you should go to Cris. She needs you," Joseph began, walking down the stairs with Liam. They were still wearing lab shirts, both of which had their hands in their pockets and a face that said everything except that they had rested "Maybe first, though, you should eat something. I know you didn't eat -- looked at the rest of you -- well, you _all_ haven't eaten."

Kevin responded by stroking his son on his back: "Cris doesn't need me, David needs me. And by the way, you also need to eat, as well as sleep. You have dark circles, you know?"

'Kevin...' began Liam with narrow teeth. That was one of the reasons he didn't want Cris to marry him. Arrogant, blind trope sometimes.

Kevin carefully wrapped his son in the blanket, kissed him in the forehead and put him back on the sofa, stood up and raised his arms to his chest: "I have nothing to say to my wife. I've made so many mistakes and I haven't understood her so many times... maybe it's better if you're close to her. You've lived with her for seven years, you sure know her better than anyone, don't you? I'm not-' but a direct upright to his stomach made him bend in two on his knees, spitting saliva.

That lightning punch was the work of Liam, who immediately afterwards took the English by the collar and slammed him against the wall: “Feel good to hear, that woman, that beautiful and wonderful woman who for some reason obscure to me married you and loves you, now needs you. _She needs you!_ Not me, not Joseph, not Jacques, not others, but you! Do you have any idea how much she suffered because of you and how much she gave up for you?! So now be a man for once and go to her! MOVE!", he yelled those words so loud that his veins on his neck pulsated, then let Kevin go with his emerald green eyes sending murderous flashes. He still loved Cris, despite everything.

Kevin styled his shirt, looked into Liam's eyes and then took his son in his arms. "Dad, watch over him." and gave David in Robin's arms. Robin immediately took his grandson tenderly, stroking his head full of blond hair. He lifted his mask a little and gave him a kiss in the forehead. Kevin then walked to his wife.

"If you're wondering, she's not in Mantaro's room- she's in your room," Joseph said, while Liam was still angrily looking at his friend. He loved him, but sometimes he would gladly quarrel with him about his conduct.

Kevin snorted, clenched his fists until his knuckles bleached and went to his room. He would never admit it, but Liam was right and this thing burned him, because it showed how much he was a coward and how selfish he was, since he preferred his pleasures to his duties. Sometimes he really sucked.

In that room they had experienced so many emotions, many related to their only child, how they had tightened him to their chests when they slept and loved to watch him fall asleep or how Kevin was dyed in a hug when she breastfed David. But in that room Cris believed that her husband had consumed his cheating, fortunately it turned out to be a fiction. But what happened to her brother was true and she hoped it was a fiction. She could have endured the pain of a cheating on her husband's part, but she could not bear the death of her brother. On the other hand, they were bound by an indissoluble bond, perhaps also because his existence was a kind of experiment of her. And she was always tied to her experiments.

She was sitting with her legs bent to her chest, her back against the edge of the bed. She wanted to cry again but couldn't do it anymore, she had run out of tears. Her eyes were reddened for crying, now she looked vacuously at the void. She was not sitting towards the large windows, but towards the wall. On that wall were hanging family photos, some Cris accolades, and some books. She kept staring at the photo she and her brother had taken when they finally got together: all she could do was think it was all her fault.

She did not notice that her husband had entered the room until he sat next to her, placed a hand on her right shoulder and pulled her to himself, causing her head to rest on his chest. Before he told her anything, he stroked her on the head. Kevin loved Cris' hair and loved to touch it. They always calmed him down. Then he said to her, "I'm here..."

"Kevin, it's all my fault! Is... it's always my fault ...!" hugged her husband and sobbed. She loved to be next to him "And ... and now I don't even know if ... if ...'

Kevin finally hugged her, causing her to disappear into his strong arms. He also hugged her with his legs, closing her to himself. He atoned for her scent. She smelled of tears and tiredness. But also hope. His wife hadn't lost hope, and that was the really important thing. He knew she was actually very fragile.

"I am sure that Mantaro will wake up and be stronger than before, because you are the most brilliant and incredible people that history has ever known and I am sure you have saved him. I'm sure of it. I only had this security when I asked you to marry me, you know?"

Cris didn't even smile. She turned her head to the side and did not answer. Kevin continued: "You know, I was hoping David wouldn't understand what happened to Mantaro, instead he immediately understood it and asked me if Mantaro had survived ... I know that our son is also a genius, but he is only a child and I do not want him to live such a deep mourning and such a strong disappointment ... Not... there is not only Mantaro's life at stake, even our relationship with our son and... I don't think I would dare to talk to your parents again, especially after ... ah, let's leave it alone. Why didn't Mantaro tell me anything? Why didn't he tell me what happened to you?"

"I told you that my brother is an angel. He won't have told you anything so you don't worry, or he hoped to fix everything right away, or ... I don't know. It seems to me that nothing makes any more sense, now ... well, on the other hand our reality is the result only of randomness ...”

Kevin shook his head, looked down at his wife and snorted a smile. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, "Don't say that... there is always a reason why something happens, nothing is ever accidental ... You always said that, didn't you? It is one of the reasons that made me fall in love with you ... that and your smile. When you smile you see your dimples, you know? Now ... now I really need one of those smiles of yours that warm my soul, you know?" he finally cried too.

Cris was hugged by Kevin, then raised her head and kissed her husband on the lips. When she broke away, she looked into his blue eyes and smiled at him. Kevin laughed a little. "Excuse me, honey, I didn't mean to make you suffer... You were telling me about David, right? How's our little angel?”

"When I got up, he was asleep and I entrusted him to Dad. But... he did not eat, like everyone else, for that matter. And... time passes inexorable ... it's already been ten hours since you finished the operation ... but Mantaro ...'

"Ten hours? This means that it is already Tuesday ... But... will be the ...” turned to look at the alarm clock "three at night? ... the last time we were hugged so at three o'a night it was when David was just born and had colic... puppy, how much we pampered him when he was sick ...” smiled tenderly at rethinking those sweet memories.

"Honey, you need to rest and eat. – Kevin took her face in her hands – Take a shower, I'll bring you something to eat and then you get to bed. You have to sleep, you have to be at the top of the form in order to follow and cure Mantaro ... I wouldn't want that-'

She got up, settling her pants: "Don't worry, I'm fine." she walked out of the room and Kevin followed her. As they made their way to the room where Mantaro rested, they heard David say:

"Uncle Matntaro, I'm here with you now until you wake up, all right? I also brought Fragolino and Nanetto to treat you better ...” and as soon as his parents came in they saw David snuggled up on Mantaro's right side, he raised his arm and put it around him. By the time they entered, their son had already fell asleep.

Cris shook Kevin's hand and, with tears in her eyes, whispered, "My little one..." then he approached her son, gave him a kiss on the cheek and took him in her arms. David woke up and looked at her: "You can't stay here, my little one..."

"But I want to be with Uncle Mantaro, _mamma_ ..."

Kevin added: "Honey, Uncle Mantaro needs to rest now, but when he's better you'll be with him as much as you want, all right? Now let's go to sleep...' Kevin put him in his arms and took him away.

Cris sat next to his brother, stroked his right hand and then sang him the lullaby, in Kinniku, which their mother used to sing to them; she lay down next to her brother and finally fell asleep too. So she hoped to wake up from a nightmare.


	22. Kronos and Kairos

"There are only four hours to go. In just four hours we will know whether all their efforts will be repaid or not. I can't believe it's been that long. It seems to me that everything happened so quickly, too quickly to really understand the event." Kevin was sitting on the sofa with his face resting in his hands and elbows resting on his knees. He kept thinking about how long it took to finally know the truth. He hoped with all of himself that his wife would center, because otherwise he would never know how to deal with and explain everything to his son.

"The clock is ticking, Kevin. I know better than others, I wasted so much time in futile actions ... but I honestly believe they're going to make it. Mantaro will come back to us, wake up and smile as he always has. I'm sure of it."

Kevin looked at his father: "Do you really believe that, Daddy?"

"Of course. – Robin smiled – You know, now that I know I'm a grandfather and that you have a family of your own... I don't want to waste any more time. I want to fully enjoy the moments I spend with you and David, especially since I couldn't hold him baby ... speaking of David, how is he? I know he wanted to be with Suguru and Belinda because he wanted to lift their morale a little ... but I know he's in a lot of pain, too, he made me understand, you know? And I'm sick if my grandchild is sick...'

Kevin smiled, and you could see why he wasn't wearing the mask, then replied: "David is really an angel... Cris and I are aware of this and every day we are grateful to have him in our lives. You have no idea how much better life makes us ... we practically live for him. And you don't know how bad it makes me feel that he's suffering so much... but on the one hand I am grateful, because it means that he loves Mantaro more than anything else. But I just want that-"

" _Daddy, has Uncle Mantaro woken up yet?_ " asked David, arriving holding Belinda by the hand. When he sat next to his father, he put his head on Kevin's legs and Kevin picked him up and gave him a kiss in the forehead.

" _Not_ _yet._ " replied Kevin, then looked at his in-laws and asked, "I don't know anything, I'm sorry. Cris is still in Mantaro's room and so are Liam and Joseph. And when I spoke to her, she didn't want to tell me much... you know, I've never seen her so fragile."

Belinda did to speak, but Liam and Joseph went down the stairs, and this time it was Joseph who said, "We wish you'd be able to see him."

Immediately in Suguru's eyes a light of hope was rekindled and he asked, shaking his wife's hand: "Did he wake up?"

Liam shook his head: "No. He hasn't given any signs yet, not even minimal. But the thirty-six hours have not yet passed, there is still time, he can still improve."

"But he can also get worse. – cut Belinda – Please stop telling us that there is still time, thirty-two hours have passed and have not responded to any stimulus or moved a muscle, as you can say that there is still time?! It seems to me that time is making fun of us! Please, I just want my baby to stop suffering...'

Joseph and Liam looked at each other and decided that Joseph, as a neurosurgery specialist – along with many other specializations – should speak: "He's not suffering, he doesn't feel anything. He didn't feel anything even when we operated on him, he stopped feeling when he came into contact with the obliterator. And now come and see him, we believe that your voice can help him wake up."

Suguru stood up: "All right." hugged his wife, "Come on, Belinda, we must not lose hope. We've been waiting all this time, now that we have a chance to see him, we can't back down. Let's go." he kissed her in the forehead, and that little kiss gave the queen courage to nod and follow her husband.

The two parents walked behind the two doctors as if they were in procession. They didn't talk, but they held hands to give each other courage. When they arrived in front of the room where their children were staying, Liam knocked on the door and then walked in. He saw that Cris was still sitting next to her brother and kept stroking him. When everyone came in, she looked up. She said, "I'll leave you some time with him. Speak to him in Kinniku, his native language. Maybe so he'll wake up, hearing your voice. You have 20 minutes, then you'll have to leave the room. We will be down, for whatever call us." and they went out.

Belinda and Suguru watched their son and felt their hearts pierced. Mantaro was maskless and was wearing a helmet that tracked his brain activity. He didn't have hair, he looked like a newborn. How long had it been since they had squeezed their newborn son in their arms when he still wore no mask and had a head full of hair. Now he seemed reborn again, simply, they hadn't been there.

Belinda could be heard plotting as she approached her son. She had always wanted to see her son's face when he was growing up, even for a few seconds, and now she could admire it for twenty minutes. He really looked like an angel. His traits were clearly alien, with those huge eyes but... had taken from her. He had her own nose and lips. Belinda was moved, she could not believe that she finally had the opportunity to see her son's face. All she wanted was for those sapphire blue eyes to be open and not closed.

Suguru put his hand on her left shoulder and whispered to her: "Look at him, he's our baby... he's really beautiful as an angel, thanks to you. It has the same pure and perfect traits as you. Thank you, Belinda. You gave me a beautiful son."

This time Belinda cried for real, but took courage and said, "We have little time ... now let's talk to him, even just to make him feel our presence and make him understand that we have never abandoned him ... but let's talk to him. Time, unfortunately, is ticking."

The time. Strange human perception, time. Time is one of those few dimensions that science cannot explain and must, therefore, translate the definition of time from philosophy. In philosophy to define time, reference is made to matter. What a strange thing that even philosophy itself cannot explain time without resorting to other conceptions, perhaps because time, by far, does not exist. Philosophy holds that matter "is" and at the same time "becomes". And this is a contradiction, because the being of an object is certified by its permanent existence (over time); while becoming presupposes transformation, that is, the diversity of form. That's why time is scientifically without explanation. And that's also why men define "time" what is actually the projection that consciousness builds so that the reality of which they are part changes. Everything that is defined as "time" – past, present and future – comes from the mind, but if a man could know the future before this happens, would that future then be past?

The great Newton, a one-of-a-kind scientist, defined time as "sensorium Dei " and this would flow immutable, always the same as itself. He also argued that time was a container of events, such as space. In short, for Newton time is a different dimension and distant from the reality in which men live, which "enters" it only because men perceive it. It will take centuries and the advent of Kant and Bergson to bring down and distinguish the two types of time: that of consciousness and the physical one. Physical time is measurable through clocks, but that of consciousness is subjective and every moment is different from the others. That's why a physical minute for some lasts like a blink of an eye, for others an eternity. And then Einstein came to bring the two visions of time together because of his theory of special relativity. The measurement of time intervals is not absolute but relative to the observer. The only thing that is the same as all observers is the speed of light, universal constant. This would also explain why, if there was something capable of moving at a speed higher than that of light, those inside would see nothing but darkness, because it would be outside of time itself.

Christianity together with ancient Greek will distinguish two types of time, one seen as monstrous, whose sole purpose is to lead to death, to eternal return, the _Kronos._ The other time is instead the place of God's revelation, of salvation; Christ, in fact, is the fullness of time – and this time is called _Kairos._

But what time was Cristiana living through right now? She perceived it as Kronos. A monster that devours their children and leads them to death. If she had been seen as the mother of her experiments, then she was also Mantaro's mother and, like Kronos, was leading him to death. If she was not seen as the mother of her experiments, she was still Kronos, because she was leading her brother to death. But she had to expect it, didn't she? In every scientist's life there is that dark moment that almost leads to the end of his career, she was experiencing it right now. Only if her brother died, she'd stop living.

It seemed that she had isolated herself from reality, as if she wanted to be part only of the immutable flow of time. She kept her legs gathered at her chest, her arms clenched on her knees, her head bowed on her legs and her eyes closed. If she hadn't sensed light, then, it was like being faster than light and then being out of time. And outside of time she would not have felt pain, nor would she have witnessed the consequences of her actions.

"Mommy, Uncle Mantaro will wake up, won't he?"

David's voice made her eyes open and her head raised. Now he remembered why she preferred to perceive time: she could see her son. She looked at him and sat composed, taking him in her arms as he was stretching out his arms. She looked at him and, smiling slightly, fixed tufts of hair covering his eyes. Then her gaze darkened and she had to answer: "My little boy, maybe mom, for the first time, could not do anything. You may no longer be able to have Uncle Mantaro by your side and you won't be able to hear his voice and laughter anymore, but he will always be by your side, even if you can't see him. Perhaps when you grow older you will remember how much he loved you despite the short time you spent together, and then you will understand how pure and true his love for you was."

David darkened up and asked, "But if you say "maybe" it means that all this may not happen, right, Mom?"

Cris kept her tears to herself: "Right." and then hugged her son.

Kevin felt powerless, walked near the rest of his family, sat down and looked down, hugging his wife to the side, holding her tight. 'I'm here...' whispered to her, giving her a kiss in the forehead. All she could do was be close to her and pray that Mantaro would wake up.

Robin really wanted to say something, but he just didn't know what to say. Liam and Joseph also remained silent in the face of that pain. It was only the noise of Belinda's heels on the stairs that broke that silence. They all looked at the two spouses. Belinda simply said, "Thank you for this opportunity you have given us. We were able to tell him everything I never had the courage to tell him. Now we have the soul at peace."

Liam and Joseph smiled faintly, before the deafening sound of their device – the one Cris had given Mantaro – sounded seamless. Liam was the quickest, he looked and hissed: "Shit!" Cris looked at, quickly getting up with Joseph "Red Code, Cris!"and she too snapped to her feet, running into the prince's room. They came down after half an hour. Now therewere only two hours to go and at the end of the 36 hours.

It was Cristiana who spoke, looking them in the eye: "He had seizures. Don't worry, that's normal, considering the operation she had to deal with." and, as she sat on the sofa again, Liam and Joseph went up again to monitor Mantaro.

Those last two hours passed undead. It almost seemed that everyone's mind did not want to let them through, almost as they knew, in their heart, that the worst of the worst was about to happen. By now it was almost noon, Jacques was preparing lunch on Cristiana's orders. She, Liam and Joseph did not want to have lunch, while he had forced others to eat, as they had not eaten well in those last days. Some of them – like Kevin – hadn't really eaten.

No one said a word. They had all lost hope, by now there were only two minutes left and then they really should have given the last greeting to Mantaro. Belinda was starting to cry, so she laid her face in her husband's chest and stood there. Suguru simply embraced her. The guilt over what he said two days ago was killing him. For the first time in his life he had judged his son without thinking about it and, rightly so, he had received his punishment. Was it excessive? No, because he never deserved a son.

Jacques also stopped cooking, waiting to receive the terrible news. As he waited, he peered at those present. The most heartbroken were the parents, reeled by guilt. Kevin didn't get any better, too, he felt he had let his son down. Robin covered his face so as not to show his pain. The only one who seemed to still have a shred of hope was David. It looked like he was praying to his guardian angel. And Cristiana ... she wasn't even sitting at the table, but on the sofa. When Liam and Joseph went down thestairs, they didn't look at anyone but Cris. They sat next to her and said,"Cris, if you want, before we pull him out of the machinery, you can give him the last greeting," Liam began.

Joseph then added: "I still don't explain what went wrong. Yes, it is true that the operation was one of a kind and was practically a hypothesis, but hearing Kinniku, the _first language_ he learned in his life, should somehow awaken the primitive connections that form when-" saw Cris snap to her feet, while quickly taking off her heels "But – what's happening to you?"

"I don't have time to explain it to you, just follow me!", and ran like a senseless up the stairs. Liam and Joseph immediately caught up with her. Cristian opened the jet door, rushed to her brother's bed and, taking his hands, _asked in Italian:_ " _Fratellino, fratellino, mi senti?_ "

Those words led Mantarus' body to slowly move the fingers and toes. After endless seconds, throttled gurgling and winks could be heard squeezing. "Nh ... ah ...” the eyes opened and, finally, a low and hoarse voice replied: " _Ti sento ..._ " and it is useless to say the joy felt by the three young geniuses, who wept as they had ever done in their lives. Cristiana hugged her brother tightly.

Apparently, Cristiana had already been wrong twice in her life: she had lost hope and believed that time was not saving. Events made her believe again.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it's the same story but in English ;) Hope you'll like it until the end!


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